What a beautiful house of worship St. Patricks would have been in it's years as the cathedral. In 1954, a major remodeling was undertaken which lowered the 'cathedral' ceiling considerably. I also believe this is when they altered the front facade by adding the covered stairway and garages. This 'Perkins' postcard in my collection is postmarked in June of 1909.

Following the 1979 demolition of the rectory and school, Corner Construction of Rapid City constructed the subterranean parish hall and the new rectory. During this time services were continued in the 1902 church.  Once the new construction was complete, services were held in the new parish hall while Jim Schopen (I believe) demolished the old church in the fall of 1981. In one photo, parishioners are seen leaving after the Saturday afternoon service which had been intereupted by the collapsing of the old church. Construction then started on the new church connecting it to the new portions of the building already complete. 
The little lady is my daughter Dena and is seen on the roof and in the roof truss helping her dad rescue an old electrical insulator in the lower left of the truss.

Lead City - 1887                Cropped from the original; taken from area of McClellan St.;  
unnamed photographer; W J Stone Collection, I own the original family heirloom.

#1 - future site of St. Patricks Cathedral
#2 - St. Patricks on Gold Street
#3 - Future site if Homestake Hospital (1889 - 1985)
#4 - Future site of Lead City Hall etc.  (1912 - present)
#5 - Oldest extant building on Lead's Main Street
#6 - Miners Union Hall and Opera House
#7 - Huffman/Uren/Stone home; 1884 or earlier to present
#8 - First dedicated Central School Building. (1881 - 2000)

                   LEAD - BLACK HILLS METROPOLIS
                                                           by J. E. Meddaugh
This wonderful 'Souvenir of LEAD' was published in 1892. It is full of these artistic collages.

The St. Patricks Centennial Plate (seen previously) indicates the first Siever St. church constructed in 1895, this shows it had to be at least 1892 or earlier as other references indicate 1890. This is the church that burned in 1900 and was constructed as seen on the plate in 1902.

The Episcopal Church seen here on the corner of Addie and Wall Streets was constructed in 1887. The home next door was the home of David Morgan and still stands today.  

The Public School was the original Central School on Wall Street.

This historic postcard, postmarked 1913. shows St Patricks Cathedral and the church rectory. It's neighbors: Lead High School (1896) in the foreground; the Assembly Hall (1903) right center and Christ Episcopal Church on Main Street (1896) right of middle. Photo ca. 1910; published by The Omaha News Company; Made in Germany

St Patricks Centennial collectors plate

Demolition progresses with the removal of the walkway between the rectory and the school.

Better pics coming. Sister Sue took these pictures and printed them on a 'PMT' printer when she worked at the Call office. Some salvage work going on. Bill Stone and daughter Dixie in middle window

St Patricks Catholic Church. Demolition of the rectory and school have started. Corner Construction would build the new 'subterranian' parish hall before the church would be demolished. Pictured in front is my daughter Dixie. My photo - 1979

St Patrick Parochial School just prior to demo in 1979

Sorry about the poor quality. This is the best I could adobeize from a very faded old PMT print. Pat Farrar of Rapid City has begun the demo of the rectory and the school would follow. The photo is taken from the lot where the Assembly Hall was demolished in 1974.

Siever Street, ca. 1935

Siever Street, mid to late 1940's. Once a hub of activity in Lead has fallen to the wrecking crew between 1974 and the mid 1980's. Barely visible is the corner of the Homestake Hospital (1985); Lead City Hall and police dept; Hearst Dept. Store warehouse (1975) and the Lead Public School Assembly Hall (1974). On the west side is the Miners and Merchants Bank; the Faust Block (Western Drug, Ruzicks Market/J&E, demoed 1985); Railway Express Agency and a Snack Shop (extant - apartments since mid 70's) and the St Patrick Parochial School, rectory and  Catholic Church gone in 1979 - 80. Black Hills Studio photo, Fassbender/HARCC and personal collection.