St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church, Catholic church building in downtown Huntsville, United States.
St. Mary of the Visitation is a limestone Romanesque Revival church in Huntsville, Alabama. Its façade is framed by two hexagonal towers, the north one's spire rising six feet above the south and holding the bell. Round stone arches with projecting keystones and imposts top every opening, a stone belt course runs halfway up the front, and pilasters rise between the doors to a shallow gable wall with crosses. A semi-hexagonal apse was added at the rear.
Construction of this church began in 1861 but was interrupted during the Civil War, with the building finally completed in 1877. The lengthy construction period reflects the turbulent times that affected the region during this era.
The parish is the oldest Catholic church in North Alabama. Patrick McCauley, editor of the Huntsville Times from 1966 to 1994, was a former president of the church council. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 22, 1980.
The church stands in downtown Huntsville, and its 1980 listing on the National Register of Historic Places means the exterior stonework and towers are protected. Visitors should check Mass times before arriving, since the building is an active parish church rather than a museum. The main double doors and the smaller flanking doors all sit under projecting round stone arches, so the entrance is easy to pick out from the street.
The north tower's spire stands six feet (1.8 m) above the south tower and holds the church bell. Pilasters between the doors rise past the gable roof and end about five feet (1.5 m) above it in a shallow gable wall, which carries a cross along with both towers.
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