Holy Trinity Catholic Church at 211 NW 3rd St., originally 12-16 Upper 3rd St. ; St. Boniface Catholic Church at 614 Wabash Ave.; St. Paul's Episcopal Church at 301 SE 1st St.; Walnut St. Presbyterian Church at 121 Walnut St.; Grace Church at 601 SE 2nd St, formerly 901-5 Upper 2nd St. Holy Trinity Catholic Church It was built in 1849-1851, and the steeple seen here added in 1873. A fire destroyed the church on Easter weekend April 3, 1950. Lightning struck the building overnight, and it burned to the ground. Services were temporarily held in the former school building until the present church was built. (The new church is very plain and modern and looks nothing like this.) St. Boniface was established because of travel for the large German population living in the northwestern portion of the city. Its territory formerly belonged to Holy Trinity parish, however, it was remote and inconvenient for many. The first move to build this church was a meeting of prominent Catholic Germans at the residence of Mr. Charles Schulte in October 1878. The land for the church was a lot bounded by Wabash Ave, Michigan St, 10th Ave and Virginia St. It was purchased by five Catholic gentlemen (Adam Helfrich, Charles Schulte, August Rosenberger, Henry Rietman, and Theodore Rechtin) in 1878 for $5,000. Soon after a letter was sent to the bishop of the Diocese of Indianapolis setting forth the facts. On January 4, 1880, Rev. Bishop Chatard visited Evansville and received the deed to the property from the gentlemen. He appointed Rev. William Bultmann as pastor thus creating St. Boniface's parish. St. Boniface became the fourth parish and the third of the German-speaking Catholic congregations in Evansville. The first church was a temporary wood frame building. Construction began February 1, 1880 and it was built within one week. 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 first St. Boniface. The cornerstone of the original church was laid on September 4, 1881, and construction moved rapidly. The building, shown above, was dedicated on April 27, 1882 with a final price tag of $68,000. It was 70 feet wide, 147 feet long, and the spires stood 202 feet. On March 30, 1902 (Holy Saturday), the church building was struck by lightning at 11:30pm. A fire broke out and raged on through Easter morning. Only the 12 inch brick walls were left standing, and a few of the valuable articles were saved. Still, the parish was undaunted. No sooner had the flames completed their devastating work when plans were made to rebuild the church superior in beauty and size to the one destroyed. The original walls were used, gables where added and the steeples were lowered to 175 feet. The construction costs totalled $62,000, and the building was rededicated later that year. Over the years, the present church (shown to the right) has remained remarkably true to its original state. Several renovations over the years, including most recently in 2006, have preserved its integrity and earned the church a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. The rectory, or parsonage, is the oldest remaining building on the St. Boniface campus. Originally, the priest stayed in a home on Wabash Avenue across from the church. The current rectory, a Queen Anne, red brick with white stone trimmings, was built in 1892. It is a substantial building complementing the larger homes across Wabash Avenue. The wrap around front porch was an early 1900s addition. The first school was a small frame building about one block away from the original church. It was erected in the spring of 1881, though by 1885 a new school was needed because of overcrowding. The second school, built at the corner of Michigan Street and Wabash Avenue. The six-room building cost $10,000 and was dedicated in December 1885. The sisters' home was also in the school until they got their own building in 1907. The school served the parish well until it was replaced with a more modern building in 1923. It was eventually torn down in 1951 and made into the current parking lot. A new and larger school (present building) was built in 1923 on the west end of the lot. It was brick and stone and had a had a labratory, an office, an auditorium, a gymnasium, and a cafeteria. When the school opened, the Ursuline Sisters from Louisville who taught there temporarily stayed at the original St. Mary's Hospital in the old Marine Hospital on Ohio St. The parish obtained a house on the southwest corner of Virginia St and 10th Ave in November 1881. The sisters stayed at this home (which is still standing) until 1886 when they moved into the second school building mentioned above. In 1907, a 15-room, state-of-the-art sisters' home was erected. It was a two story brick Georgian revival building designed by Harris and Shopbell. It is still standing on the south side of the block, but it was vacated in November 22, 1978 due to shortage of nuns. (http://www.saintbonifaceevansville.com/) Since 2014 this church is part of a three part parish, along with Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish and the former St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr Parish. While traveling the Ohio River on canoe and horseback, Bishop Jackson Kemper, an Episcopal missionary, established St. Paul�s church in 1836. The present church building was consecrated fifty years later. Designed for beauty and permanence, the church is constructed of Indiana limestone. Much like our faith, the building lies in the form of a cross, and its tower and spire � trademarks of the building�s Gothic style � rise 124 feet heavenward. A chapel was built in 1881, and in 1956 a two-story multi-purpose parish hall was completed. An existing rectory was later renovated for use as a Church House with offices and meeting rooms. All buildings are now interconnected. A fire in 1938 left the outer walls of limestone undamaged but destroyed the inner building. The church was rededicated within a year. Numerous restorations and renovations have occurred. (http://stpaulsevv.org/about/history/) Walnut Street Presbyterian: [The] foundation laid in 1859 and services held in basement for first 2 years. [This] congregation moves from its old location, the Little Church on the Hill. The new church is dedicated February 1863 and was renamed Walnut Street Presbyterian. In 1926, Walnut Street merged with Grace Presbyterian to become First Presbyterian. The two churches, which both had ties to the Little Church on the Hill , finally rejoined forces after a theological division in 1837 caused their split. The rejoined church met at the First Presbyterian location, 601 SE 2nd St., formerly 901-5 Upper 2nd St. Another church moved into the structure seen here, but it was destroyed by fire in 1944. Grace Church was also known as Grace Presbyterian, Grace Memorial Presbyterian, and eventually, First Presbyterian. The church building, at the corner of SE 2nd and Mulberry was formally dedicated on September 13, 1874. Vine Street Presbyterian moved from its old location and was then renamed Grace Presbyterian. Chestnut St. Church sold its property to the Scottish Rite and merged with Grace Presbyterian in 1909. The church was subsequently renamed Grace Memorial Presbyterian. In 1926, Walnut Street Presbyterian merged with Grace to become First Presbyterian. The two churches, which both had ties to the Little Church on the Hill , finally rejoined forces after a theological division in 1837 caused their split. (http://historicevansville.com/site.php?id=firstpresby) Today First Presbyterian still stands, looking exactly like this.