Catholic Belltower, Bell tower in Garapan, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, United States
The Catholic Belltower is a concrete tower 3 meters square and 10 meters tall in Garapan, built in 1932 beside an 1860 wood-frame church. It is the only part of the island's main Roman Catholic church to survive World War II bombardment.
This structure was built in 1932 as part of a larger church during Japanese administration of the islands. After World War II, the bell tower became the only surviving section of the original complex.
Locals call the tower Campaneyan Kristo Rai, Chamorro for "Christ the King belltower", while Spanish sources give Campanario Cristo Rey. It was built by Spanish Jesuits under the Japanese South Seas Mandate administration, and its bells once served the 1860 wooden church beside it.
The tower stands in central Garapan, the largest village on Saipan, at the coordinates 15.20140, 145.71500. It is a concrete structure 3 meters square, so it is easy to walk past and use as a fixed point while moving through the village.
The 1984 National Register listing rests on the tower's survival: it is the only part of Saipan's main Roman Catholic church left standing after World War II bombardment. The concrete shaft, 3 meters square and 10 meters tall, stood beside an 1860 wood-frame church that did not survive.
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