Wabash Ave., looking north from W. Franklin St. The double spires near the center are St. Boniface Catholic Church at 418 N. Wabash Ave., formerly 610 Wabash Ave. "St. Boniface's parish was organized in 1880 to serve the residents on the west side. The first move to build this church was a meeting of prominent Catholic Germans at the residence of Mr. Charles Schulte in 1878. A letter setting forth the facts was sent to the bishop, and a lot on Wabash avenue worth $10,000 was purchased for $5,000 for the site of the parish buildings. On January 4th, 1880, Rev. Bishop Chatard visited Evansville and received the deed to the property from the gentlemen, created the St. Boniface's parish and appointed Rev. William Bultmann as pastor. At the meeting of interested Catholics $10,000 was promptly pledged in support of the new parish. Work was begun on the temporary frame church on February 1st of that year and on the following Sunday, high mass and vespers were sung in the same. After two months an addition had to be made to accommodate the people and in less than a year later, this building was torn down, to give room for the present grand edifice. The cornerstone of the present St Boniface's church was laid with imposing ceremonies on September 4, 1881, by Rev. Roman Weinzoepfel. All of the Catholics of Evansville were out and the day was a memorable one. The work on the new church was pushed rapidly that the church was dedicated on April 27th, of the following year. The church has two spires and stands 202 feet high. Founded in january 1880, in the home of Charles Schulte, St Boniface Catholic church was the fourth of Evansville's Catholic parishes and the third of its German-speaking Catholic congregations. The men who gathered at Schulte's to lay plans for the organization of the church also included August Rosenberger, Anthony J Klein, Adam Helfriech and John T Rechtin. Subsequently, funds were raised, the Wabash Avenue site was purchased, and construction on a substantial brick church was underway by late 1881. massive, twin-spired edifice executed in what was termed "Byzantine style with a touch of Roman." At the time, a remark was made that the church was very conspicuous in Independence; it remains so today, and its spires can be seen from many points in the area." In 1902 (March 30 Easter Sunday), a fire started by lightning destroyed the church, but plans were made immediately to rebuild it. The architectural services of Harris & Shopbell were called upon and Anthony Kessler was secured as the general contractor. The church was completed by June 1903. Although the plan varied somewhat from the old one (the towers supporting the spires were a bit taller and side walls had gabled dormers), the overall appearance of the new edifice corresponded to that of the first one." [In] 1917 [services] switched from German to English during the height of WWI, one of first in Evansville to do so. (http://historicevansville.com/site.php?id=stboniface) The structure to the left of the church, the old 1885 school, no longer stands. Across the street, the house with the cupola is that of August Rosenberger at 409 N. Wabash Ave., formerly 609 Wabash Ave. It was built in 1894 with a limestone porch added in the 1920s. It still stands, in good condition.