The interior of St. Mary of the Barrens can easily rank as one of the most beautiful church interiors in the United States, and I’ve seen a lot of churches in my life. If you don’t remember my post on Il Gesù from back in November, go back and read it, and then come back…
Tag: Missouri
St. Mary’s of the Barrens, Perryville
St. Mary’s of the Barrens takes its name from the prairie early settlers could not plow; instead, they turned to the loamy soil of the bottomlands along the river to farm. Established in 1818, the church also served alongside the oldest seminary west of the Mississippi. The Vincentians have long been associated with the church…
North Walnut Street and Environs, Perryville
There’s always that one street (or two) that spurs off of the courthouse square lined with Queen Anne or other late Nineteenth Century styles, and in Perryville, it’s North Walnut Street. While most of the millwork has been lost, the houses still stand, and it’s an interesting street to visit.
The Streets Around Downtown, Perryville
Around the courthouse square in Perryville are an assortment of brick houses, which I suspect are from around the time of the Civil War or earlier. The houses are simple, with gable roofs and four bays wide facing the street. I suspect many were built by German immigrants. A highlight is the Faherty House, which…
Perryville, Perry County, Missouri
We visited the town of Perryville in Perry County last weekend to check out the area and in particular the Shrine at St. Mary of the Barrens, which we’ll look at later this week. It’s an interesting and extremely old part of Missouri, with origins dating back to 1820, right around the founding of the…
Down by the River and Railroad Tracks, Jefferson City
For my finally few minutes in Jefferson City I headed down to the levee area of the town where there is an Amtrak station. But looking at and comparing the photo above and seeing what is there now, it is obvious that much has been demolished, sadly. There is a small state historic site you…
High Street, Revisited, Jefferson City
Starting at Broadway Street and heading east or more southeast on High Street, we first see the Roman Catholic Proto Cathedral of St. Peter, just across the street from the Missouri Capitol. A proto cathedral is a former cathedral; the present church dates from 1883, and it was the seat, or cathedra of the diocese…
Some Notable Buildings, Jefferson City
I also saw some other interesting building scattered around the city. This school, high up on a hill in the center of town, caught my attention. It is abandoned, unfortunately. With such a prominent location and great vistas, I can’t imagine that it wouldn’t be great for redevelopment. Nearby on another summit is the Hugh…
Jefferson City National Cemetery
Jefferson City has a small national veterans cemetery located south of the Capitol. The first burial was as early as 1861, and they continue to the present day. The gates were built for horse drawn carriages and I almost thought I wasn’t going to be able to fit my automobile out the exit. It was…
Lafayette Street Over to McCarty Street, Jefferson City
After looking at East Capitol Street and the old prison, I headed down Lafayette Street. Since it’s close to the center of town, there are some very old houses, in sort of a local version of the Italianate style, as well as newer homes from the 1890s. Down along McCarty Street, which is a busy…