Parish, St. Mary's

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On June 26, 1864, a meeting was held in the Calvary railroad station to make plans for an English-speaking parish in Evanston. $1,327.00 was pledged by Evanston Catholics and a few prominent Methodists and on July 20, 1864, a lot was purchased at the corner of Lake Street and Oak Street from Isaac Buchanan for $200. St. Mary's Parish officially began on Sunday, August 15, 1865, when the first Mass in Evanston was celebrated in the open air, under a white oak tree, just west of the present entrance to Calvary Cemetery. The altar at the Mass was a plain kitchen table.

The foundation for the first church was laid in 1866, but lacking the necessary funds, it was found impossible to construct the edifice according to plans. A frame structure, 20 by 40 feet, was erected on the northwest corner of the foundation which served the small congregation for three years until a larger frame church was completed according to the original plans. Then in 1869, this building was moved to the present site of the rectory, another story added, and it was used as a school building until 1890.

In the Spring of 1860, work began on another frame construction, according to the original plan. This second church was finished toward the close of the year. The Pope at the time was Pius IX, the Cardinal was James Duggan, but St. Mary's did not yet have a permanent pastor.

By the late 1880's, the congregation of St. Mary's had outgrown it 20-year-old frame church. In 1890, it was evident that a larger church edifice was needed and it was then decided to build the present stone church. In the following year, 1891, the old frame building was moved to the rear of the lot, turned around, veneered with brick, and remodeled into a school. The cornerstone of the new church was laid on May 3, 1891. The church opened for worship and was dedicated in May 15, 1892 by Archbishop Patrick Feehan. It was built by Michael Foley, one of the parishioners of St. Mary's. It is constructed from Ashlar limestone and the two 100-foot-tall spires of the church were copied from St. Patrick's Church in Philadelphia. The architect was Stephen A. Jennings, who had designed many picturesque homes in Evanston.

After a fire destroyed the altar and organ in 1908, major renovations to restore the glory of the building went into the planning. In 1916, the pews that are now revered as art pieces themselves were purchased for the amount of $2,900. In 1925, the organ was purchased for $9,750. In 1927, the stained glass windows were purchased for $10,400. All of these improvements were guided by Pastor Rev. Hugh P. Smyth.

In 1944, under the vision of Msgr. Frederick Hillenbrand, the east chapel was developed into a baptistry and included a small altar. The baptistry was later moved into the body of the church with the 1977 renovation, which included a mosaic wall that separated the main sanctuary from the nave of the church.

St. Mary's present building was designated as an Evanston Preservation Landmark in 1978. It was officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places on March 3, 1983, as part of the Evanston Ridge Historic District.

In 1996, plans for a renovation to remove the mosaic wall and to restore the church to its former beauty and grandeur were begun. With the guidance of the Cardinal's office and the Building and Renovation Committee, a mixture of renovation and restoration evolved into a plan which exemplified the old beauty and the more modern needs of the parish. Spending just $1.5 million, the results are in...

The stained glass windows in the apse, which had not been seen since the fire in 1908, were refurbished. New furnishings, designed by Steve Remmert, were built. The multi-toned metallic disks on the altar represent the diversity of the parish. The pews were cleaned up and the outer sections joined to the main sections and then angled. The stenciling above the windows that harkens back to the murals that were originally in these positions.

The baptismal font, a tool of introduction into the Church, was relocated to the main entrance of the church.

The sacristy was relocated and the previous sacristy was adapted into the Reservation Chapel, which houses the new tabernacle. On the wall behind the tabernacle hang the former communion railing gates. Around the entrance of the chapel are crosses representing the diversity of the parish.