St. Anne's Church Poster

A photograph of St. Anne's Church in Columbia, California. The first Catholic church in Columbia was established in 1852. Services were held in a log frame and canvas structure surmounted by a small wooden cross. In the winter of 1853 a new church was built on the east side of Gold Street. Rev. Henry Aleric was the priest of this wood frame church. Rev. Daniel Slattery, the priest in Columbia in July 1855 began a drive for subscriptions from the miners to build St. Anne's on Kennebeck Hill. The property deed was recorded in March 1856 & construction began in July 1856. The architect was John Wallace, a surveyor from England, then working in Colombia. A foundation of native stone was laid upon which the brick walls were built. The bricks were made in Shaw's Flat Kiln by Jordan & Co. of Sonora. Timber for the roof trusses & sheathing was available locally, as were the hand split shingles. The major woodwork was done by Northrup & Marshall. The gothic shaped window head had four panels of coloured glass. The main window was clear glass. St. Anne's was completed and on November 1, 1856, was consecrated by Archbishop Allemany of San Francisco. The belfry was added in 1857. The bell was cast by Meneelys' in Troy, New York and dated 1857. The bell, which cost $1,500 & weighed 1,600 pounds, was shipped around the Horn. The church underwent major repairs in 1872. In 1880 the altar paintings were added by James Fallon, son of a pioneer hotel owner. The edifice was declared unsafe in 1910 and closed, but was repaired & restored in 1926 & reopened.