St. Michaels' RC Church - Table of Contents

St. Michaels' RC Church
651 Washington St., Buffalo NY

Postcard coutesy of Chris Andrle's Vintage Buffalo Views

Footnote #12 in
The Caulkins Building Applications for Listing on the National Register of Historic Buildings

St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church was founded in 1851 following a schism in the nearby St. Louis RC Church. Rev. Lucas Caveg and 19 other German-speaking families splintered from that church to form St. Michael’s, constructing a small wood-frame church on the church’s present site on Washington Street near Chippewa Street.

Soon after, the parish founded a grammar school to educate the children of the local German community.

Records indicate that the present church building was constructed in 1867, and in 1870 the parish established Canisius College, a Jesuit institution, to the north of the church. The college would relocate to its present location on Main Street in 1910.

Following a devastating fire resulting from being struck by a lightning bolt in 1962, the parish rebuilt the building utilizing the remaining exterior shell, reconstructing the church’s signature domed tower.

Refer to Condren, Dave. “St. Michael’s Church, Jesuits’ original base in area, to mark 150th year with Mass.” Buffalo News. 29 Sep 2001, A-7.

The Washington Market itself was razed in 1965 shortly after it closed and now is a large parking area.


Page by  Chuck LaChiusa in 2011
| ...Home Page ...| ..Buffalo Architecture Index...| ..Buffalo History Index... .|....E-Mail ...| ..

web site consulting by ingenious, inc.