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Church_of_St._Thomas_(Jessenland_Township,_Minnesota) Latitude and Longitude:
44°35′56″N 93°54′0.5″W / 44.59889°N 93.900139°W / 44.59889; -93.900139
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Church of St. Thomas
A small, steepled wooden church and wooden house in front of a hillside cemetery
The Church of St. Thomas viewed from the east
A map of Minnesota with a dot in the south central portion of the state
A map of Minnesota with a dot in the south central portion of the state
A map of Minnesota with a dot in the south central portion of the state
A map of Minnesota with a dot in the south central portion of the state
Location31624 Scenic Byway Road, Jessenland Township, Minnesota
Nearest city Henderson, Minnesota
Coordinates 44°35′56″N 93°54′0.5″W / 44.59889°N 93.900139°W / 44.59889; -93.900139
Area5 acres (2.0 ha)
Built1870 (church), 1878 (rectory), 1856 (cemetery)
ArchitectUnknown
Architectural style Greek Revival
NRHP reference  No. 88003085 [1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 16, 1991

The Church of St. Thomas is a former Roman Catholic church complex in Jessenland Township, Minnesota, United States. It consists of an 1870 church, 1878 rectory, and a hillside cemetery whose oldest tombstone is dated 1856. Together they are remnants of the very first agricultural settlement established by Irish Americans in Minnesota, founded here along the Minnesota River in 1852. [2] The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 for its local significance in the theme of European ethnic heritage. [3] It was nominated for its association with Minnesota's first Irish-American farming settlement and one of the first agricultural communities in Sibley County. [2] In 2023, the Diocese of New Ulm closed the oratory and sold the building to a non-profit organization named Friends of Jessenland. Their mission is to create an Irish cultural center. The cemetery remains in perpetual care of the Diocese.[ citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b Johnson, Liz Holum (June 1987). National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Church of St. Thomas (Catholic). National Park Service. Retrieved 2020-04-25. With six accompanying photos from 1987
  3. ^ "Church of Saint Thomas (Catholic)". Minnesota National Register Properties Database. Minnesota Historical Society. 2009.
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