Courtesy of Matt Liverani
Welcome to another installment of White Pine: Then & Now!
In this week’s edition we are revisiting Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Murry Street sometime between 1906, when the church was constructed and 1919. Based on the background of the photo and other period photos, I believe the photo was taken around 1908 since the area now known as Broadbent Park, which would be built across the street from the building behind the church, hasn’t been developed yet (the earliest photo I have of the ball field at Broadbent is from around 1919). Other photos from 1908 show the sidewalks around the church and the house behind the church with the wraparound porch, which may have been the rectory for the priest at the time. Another clue to the date would be how relatively young the trees are as later photos from around the same time frame show more mature trees growing around the church. The building to the left of the church along Murry Street is what I believe to be the old Hayes General Merchandise building. “WP Mountain”, a minor peak on the eastern flank of Saxton Peak, stands prominently in the background over the scene, having yet to receive its signature markings.
The modern photo, taken on May 20, 2025, illustrates the many changes that have taken place in the 100-plus years since the original photo was taken. The church is still standing, although the original wooden building was later encased in brick, likely sometime in the 1950’s. The front of the church was significantly changed during this time. In 2006, this church building was closed after the opening of a new, larger church in East Ely and this building was sold to a private owner. The home visible behind the church was replaced by what became St. Lawrence Hall, which you can see sticking out from the side at the rear of the church. The hall moved to the old Sacred Heart Catholic School when the church moved since both buildings were located on the same property less than 100 feet from one another. The old general merchandise building was replaced in 1939 with a new rectory for the priest. Like the church, the rectory was sold and became the home office of the Ely Times until they also vacated the building and put it up for sale once again. Just visible at the right edge of the photo is the 1928-built City Hall building with Broadbent Park behind and the familiar WP peeking out from behind the chimney of the church.
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