- Built
- 1873
- Eras
- Irish era
- Concepts
- religioncatholicismconstructioneducation
- Within
- Beaver Island
- Media
- Beaver Island History Map, 1978 revision
Summary
A Catholic Church of St. Ignatius existed at the head of Beaver Island by July 1873. A contemporary Charlevoix Sentinel visitor described it as Father Gallagher’s second island pastoral charge, with Holy Cross as his principal church.
The 1978 Historical Map says Father Patrick Murray built the small church about 1860 and that it later became a school. A separate 1960 parish-centennial notice does establish Murray as the island parish’s first appointed pastor in 1860, but it does not attribute this building to him. Pending parish registers, diocesan correspondence, or school records, construction is dated only “by 1873” and later school use remains an attributed map claim.
Open questions
- Do diocesan visitation records identify the building date, dedication, location, or builder?
- When did worship cease, and what school—if any—used the building afterward?
Sources
- “A Cruise Among the Islands,” Charlevoix Sentinel, July 5, 1873.A contemporary visitor says Holy Cross was Father Gallagher's principal church and that he had another pastoral charge, the Church of St. Ignatius, at the head of the island. This proves existence by July 1873 but gives no construction date, builder, dimensions, or later use. No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.
- Identifies Rev. Patrick Murray as the first appointed pastor when the island parish was established in 1860. It does not say he built St. Ignatius.
- Described in this archive: Beaver Island History Map, 1978 revision.Calls St. Ignatius a small Catholic church built by Father Murray about 1860 and later used as a school. The builder, approximate construction year, and school conversion remain uncorroborated.
Added 7 August 2026. Recent changes
Cite this article
Beaver Island Archive, “St. Ignatius Church at Beaver Island”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/structures/st-ignatius-church-beaver-island/, accessed [date], citing “A Cruise Among the Islands,” Charlevoix Sentinel, July 5, 1873. (and 2 further sources listed on the page).
Last revised 2026-08-07. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.
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