One of the Oldest Catholic Churches in KS; Established in Prairie City – SW of Baldwin City – in 1857 – still active today
- Individual photos and full text of article is available below.
- First printed in Baldwin City Community News, August 18, 2022. Reprinted with permission.
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Photos:
Text of Article:
Treasures From The Kansas Room By Marta Jardon, Santa Fe Trail Historical Society – Baldwin City Community News, August 18, 2022.
Annunciation Catholic Church of Baldwin City – Possibly the Oldest in Kansas!
The Catholics in the Baldwin City area began meeting as a group during the Territorial Days of Kansas – over 165 years ago! In 1857, the Jesuit Missionary, Father Paul Ponziglione, established the Catholic Mission Church in a log cabin on the C. Constant Butel farm. The Butel farm was in west Prairie City, SW of current Baldwin City. (While the log cabin is long gone, the stone home built by Constant Butel in 1863 remains at the NE corner of N 150 and E 1400 Rds.) The Church was named “The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary”. This church has continued to exist and grow since 1857 and is now located at 740 North 6th Street, which is on Highway 1055, just north of Highway 56. Further research needs to be conducted to determine if this is the oldest active Catholic Church in Kansas, but it certainly must be one of them!
A history of the church, written by George Butell, a descendant of Constant Butel, reports, “The Sacrifice of the Mass was celebrated once a month for about a year in the home of non-Catholics, of Mr. W.W. Graves, Mr. Henry Stevenin, and others until the church building was completed in 1859 by Father Ive Schacht. This was a small stone building, about 20 x 30 ft., and cost about $400.00. The [lots] were deeded to the Rt. Rev. Bishop John B. Miege, S.J. by the Trustees of Prairie City. Consideration, $1.00.” The erection of the Catholic Mission Church and seminary buildings began in 1857 on Liberty Hill within the townsite of Prairie City. (Liberty Hill is located between N 200 Rd. and US 56, west of E. 1600 Road. It is all private property.) The Catholic Mission Church was completed in 1859. The seminary, which doubled as a home for the priests, was completed south of the church building in 1870.
“The Mission Church had seating capacity for about sixty people. About fifteen families comprised the Mission, being mostly immigrants from Ireland and France. Among these were Celestin Jardon, Patrick Fenoughty, John Dyer, Levi P. Jardon, Michael Dyer, L.P. Cayot, C. Constant Butel, Joseph Butel, Xavier P. Jardon, Michael Brophy, John Finnerty, Jeremiah Curtis, George Miller, Martin Riling, Paschal Averil, and Henry Stevenin.” By 1870, the Church had about fifty families.
The stone Mission Church was in use until 1893, at which time a wooden A-frame structure was built in West Baldwin/Media at the corner of South and Miami Streets. This building was 30 x 50 ft. and seated 300 people. It cost $1800. In 1907, an addition was built to house the priest when he was in West Baldwin/Media. Before 1910, the interior of the church was redecorated, and a gallery added for the choir. An electric organ was installed in 1952. City water and sewer connections occurred in 1964.
In 1985, the Annunciation Church purchased a ten-acre tract of land just north of Baldwin on Highway 1055/6th Street. They planned to build a new church, as they had outgrown the old building. The new church was dedicated on Nov. 18, 1990, by the Most Reverend Ignatius Strecker. The old church on Miami Street became a private residence.
In 2015, Larry, Leo, Brian, and Brad Butell extracted stone from the ruins of the old Mission Church on Liberty Hill. They erected a base using the stone, upon which they placed the bell from the old wooden Catholic Church in West Baldwin/Media. The priest can now ring this bell from within the new church by just pushing a button. One can view the bell and stone base, and read the dedication information, at the NW corner outside of the church.
Members of these early families of Annunciation Catholic Church continue to attend and care for the church. Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery, established in 1867 in the town of Prairie City, is the resting place of most of the original church members. This cemetery, located on the NW corner of N 200 and E 1600 Rds., continues to be used today by many Catholics in the area. It is cared for by Larry and Leo Butell and their family members – all descendants of C. Constant Butel in whose home the Church was founded in 1857 – over 165 years ago!
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The Santa Fe Trail Historical Society of Douglas County has been preserving and promoting the history of the Baldwin, Vinland, and Southern Douglas County area in addition to the Trail since 1967. Visit the website at www.santafetraildouglas.org.
–Updated 1/2025
