.gif)
Church of the Holy Family (Cahokia)
Encyclopedia
The Church of the Holy Family is a Roman Catholic church
located in the St. Clair County, Illinois
city of Cahokia
. The Log Church, built in 1799 and replacing a similar church built in 1699, is the oldest church completely west of the Alleghany Mountains. (A Methodist church in Union, West Virginia, built in 1785 is west of highest ranges of the Alleghany Mountains.) Constructed of black walnut timbers in the traditional French Colonial ""poteaux-sur-solle
"" (post-on-sill) vertical-log construction style, the Log Church is only one of five built in this style that still exist in North America. The church was declared a National Historic Landmark
and added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1970. The building is located on First Street in Cahokia.
Holy Family parish is the oldest continuously active Catholic Parish in the United States, having been founded in 1699 by Canadian missionaries. Roman Catholic Services are still conducted in the church
Guides read a brief history of the church and then allow visitors to walk around.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
located in the St. Clair County, Illinois
St. Clair County, Illinois
St. Clair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau placed the mean center of U.S. population in St. Clair County. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 270,056, which is an increase of 5.5% from 256,082 in 2000. Its county seat is...
city of Cahokia
Cahokia, Illinois
Cahokia is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 16,391. The name is a reference to one of the clans of the historic Illini confederacy, who were encountered by early French explorers to the region.Early European settlers also...
. The Log Church, built in 1799 and replacing a similar church built in 1699, is the oldest church completely west of the Alleghany Mountains. (A Methodist church in Union, West Virginia, built in 1785 is west of highest ranges of the Alleghany Mountains.) Constructed of black walnut timbers in the traditional French Colonial ""poteaux-sur-solle
Poteaux-sur-solle
Poteaux-sur-solle is the name for the "posts-on-sill" style of French colonial architecture used by French and French-Canadian settlers in North America. Houses in this style in the present-day United States can be found in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri; Prairie du Rocher, Illinois, and former French...
"" (post-on-sill) vertical-log construction style, the Log Church is only one of five built in this style that still exist in North America. The church was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
and added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1970. The building is located on First Street in Cahokia.
Holy Family parish is the oldest continuously active Catholic Parish in the United States, having been founded in 1699 by Canadian missionaries. Roman Catholic Services are still conducted in the church
Tours
Guides conduct daily tours during the summer from 11:00am through 4:00pm.Guides read a brief history of the church and then allow visitors to walk around.
See also
- Oldest churches in the United StatesOldest churches in the United StatesThe designation of the oldest church in the United States requires careful use of definitions, and must be divided into two parts, the oldest in the sense of oldest surviving building, and the oldest in the sense of oldest Christian church congregation...