OLD TOWN CHAPEL

old town chapel

121 park ave, park city

Built in 1884, the Old Town Chapel is Utah's Oldest Catholic Church and served as St. Mary's primary Church until 1997.

Open daily for all to visit, pray at, and worship, the Chapel is a special and revered establishment of the Old Town Community, a precious reminder of our roots, and a landmark for our town. Additionally, the Chapel hall is utilized weekly for St. Mary's community events, our food bank, and the area's best charitable organizations.

For those with limited mobility, please consider using the stairs on the North-East corner at the bottom of the chapel. The other sets of stairs can be steep or icy.

history

After the original small wood framed St. Mary's Church (built in 1882) burned to the ground, a new church was begun and completed in 1884. This one was of stone and stand still stands today as Utah's Oldest Catholic Church. It is now St. Mary's Old Town Chapel.

For the miners, the prominence of that Church building atop of Park Avenue became the last bit of home they would see as they climbed to the mine entrances and descended into the earth. It was the beacon that drew them home at the end of a long day. And, in times of disaster it was the gathering place for countless worried wives and families.

In the 1950’s, however, fire again struck the church; this time destroying the roof and much of the interior. The town was again in depression, the mines largely closed, and Park City’s population small. It seemed the will of the Bishop of Salt Lake City that St. Mary's parish be closed. However, the unemployed miners of St. Mary's quickly rebuilt the roof, restored the Church building, and convinced the Bishop to keep St. Mary's open!

To this day, the Old Town Chapel remains open daily for all to visit, pray at, and attend Mass. It is a special and revered establishment of the Old Town Community, a precious reminder of our roots, and a landmark for our town.