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The present-day Catholic Church stands on the site of the first Church of St. Helena that was the remodeled home of a Mr. Sheehan. Augustus Tainter donated the lot to Archbishop Alemany, first Archbishop of San Francisco, in 1865. The old frame building was later moved off the site and used by several church denominations. The St. Helena Catholic Church was built during 1889 and 1890. It is designed in the classic style of English Medieval parish churches and constructed of native stone. The entry is directly beneath the Gothic bell tower and goes directly into the nave. Notice the fine tracery in the upper bell tower window. The interior of the nave has an open timbered roof in the Jacobean tradition. In 1945, fire swept the church. In rehabilitation, buttress additions were made to the north and south sides of the bell tower and on the north and south walls. Sacristies were added to the rear of the church and the bell tower roof was replaced with a battlement. The stained glass windows survived the fire. he church exemplifies the craftsmanship in stone of Napa County’s 19th and 20th-century artisans. The Catholic Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 23, 1978.

1255 Oak Avenue St. Helena CA