Sacred Heart  Church Dunkirk NY

Sacred Heart Church was built for the German Catholic Community in 1876-77

It was a brick Victorian Gothic building with tall spire capping it's facade tower. In the late 1950's it was refaced and remodeled and given a somewhat less lofty colonial-style cupola. It was located at the corner of Main and Ruggles Street in Dunkirk. Behind it was St George's School (1884) with the front facing Franklin Ave.

From the book : Historical and descriptive Review of Dunkirk Chautauqua County NY 1889

The German Catholics of Dunkirk worshipped with St.Mary's congregation until 1857, when they organized a society and built St George's frame church at a cost of about $2000.00. The orders of Jesuits, Franciscans and Passionists, severally, had charge of this church until it was made an independent parish in 1874, and on November 4th of that year Father Kolb took charge and at once arranged to build a new church. The corner stone was laid on June 11th of the centennial year and November 18th, 1877, the Church of The Sacred Heart of Jesus was dedicated, having cost in it's erection $20,000 or more. It is an admirable architectural design and the furnishings superb. The generous George Dotterweich, who had assisted so liberally in the building of both these churches, paid for the town clock in the steeple, the chime of bells, and donated a $5,000 marble altar, which was consecrated  July 23,1882. Mr.Dotterweich died in April 1884, and left a bequest $4,000 towards the erection of a school house adjoining the church. June 8,1884, Bishop Ryan, of buffalo, transferred Rev. Andrew Frey to this charge, and under his ministrations the handsome and commodious three story brick structure known as St George's Hall was erected at a cost of about $9,000. The first floor is divided into three large school rooms, second floor St George's hall and stage, while the third floor is occupied by the Catholic Mutual Benefit Association. The building is fitted with water, gas and steam.  The parsonage was built in 1885, at a cost of about $5,000. It is a brick, of handsome gothic design, and a model of convenience throughout. Father Frey was educated in germany and graduated in theology from Louvaine, in Belgium. He came to Buffalo in 1878 and assisted in the priesthood there prior to coming to his present charge. In his parish are about 200 families and 150 children are enrolled in the parochial school.

Due to shrinking membership, the church combined with St Mary's in 1975.The school was demolished in 1979, and the main part of the church was demolished in the fall of 1981; the tower remained, until it was removed in Feb. 1982

Interior of Sacred Heart Church

Sacred Heart Church 1973

St George's Hall 1973

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