St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church, 222 Jefferson St N, Huntsville, AL 35801
Thomas Ehemann, Fall 2024
St. Mary of the Visitation is a Catholic Church in downtown Huntsville and is the oldest Catholic Church in Northeast Alabama and as such has spawned a handful of other Catholic institutions in Huntsville that still stand today.
Loretta Academy was established and run by nuns in 1900. It was renamed in 1912 to “St. Mary’s” because of its association with St. Mary of the Visitation. The opening of the Marshall Space Flight Center brought growth to the area and by extension growth to the St. Mary parish, so Father A. McGonogal, who was pastor at the time, left St. Mary, and built the Catholic church, Holy Spirit, in Huntsville which remains as a major church in the area and has an associated elementary and middle school.
The building is a Romanesque revival which has only one story with rounded windows each with their own keystone. The majority of the building is made of limestone of varying texturesAs seen from the exterior there are two hexagonal towers and an apse (semi-spherical dome) which was added between 1871 and 1884. The base of the south tower is slightly taller so that the church bell could hang within it. Construction of the church was funded by donations requested of Catholics living as far as Maryland and Michigan and completed by stonemasons which were requested in local newspapers and otherwise. It began before the civil war in 1861, which delayed progress on the building and was completed when the building was dedicated to St. Mary on October 11, 1877 by Bishop Quinlan. Over the course of St. Mary’s existence many modifications have been made to the building. For example: Between 1878 and 1887 the interior of the church was finished and the rectory was built, and between 1927 and 1938 a new pipe organ was installed. The rectory was rebuilt through 1945 to 1958, along with a new parish hall.
Many cultural events have been held by or at St. Mary of the Visitation. One such event was the meeting of 250 Knights of Columbus - a major Catholic organization - on May 27, 1903. The Knights came from around the United States to elect the board of Knights that would oversee Huntsville. Picnics were held at the church and included many kinds of races, dances, and dinner.
The area around St. Mary of the Visitation has changed greatly since 1877 as well. Merrimack Manufacturing company built a new factory in 1899 which was set to double Huntsville’s population. Transportation has changed as cars now clutter the street in front of the church on asphalt roads with paved sidewalks and electric streetlights. New buildings replace the buildings seen in the original postcard and grand, mature trees block the front view of the building from the angle seen in the postcard.
Overall St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church is an influential landmark that withstands the test of time as it and its community have remained and even expanded in Huntsville since the church’s initial construction.