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Church of St. Thomas
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The Church of St. Thomas viewed from the east
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Location	31624 Scenic Byway Road, Jessenland Township, Minnesota
Nearest city	Henderson, Minnesota
Coordinates	44°35′56″N 93°54′0.5″W / 44.59889°N 93.900139°W / 44.59889; -93.900139
Area	5 acres (2.0 ha)
Built	1870 (church), 1878 (rectory), 1856 (cemetery)
Architect	Unknown
Architectural style	Greek Revival
NRHP reference No.	88003085
Added to NRHP	September 16, 1991

The Church of St. Thomas is a former Roman Catholic church complex in Jessenland Township, Minnesota, United States. It consists of an 1870 church, 1878 rectory, and a hillside cemetery whose oldest tombstone is dated 1856. Together they are remnants of the very first agricultural settlement established by Irish Americans in Minnesota, founded here along the Minnesota River in 1852. The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 for its local significance in the theme of European ethnic heritage. It was nominated for its association with Minnesota's first Irish-American farming settlement and one of the first agricultural communities in Sibley County. In 2023, the Diocese of New Ulm closed the oratory and sold the building to a non-profit organization named Friends of Jessenland. Their mission is to create an Irish cultural center. The cemetery remains in perpetual care of the Diocese.

See also

• List of Catholic churches in the United States
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Sibley County, Minnesota

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. ^ Johnson, Liz Holum (June 1987). National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Church of St. Thomas (Catholic). National Park Service. Retrieved 2020-04-25. With six accompanying photos from 1987
3. "Church of Saint Thomas (Catholic)". Minnesota National Register Properties Database. Minnesota Historical Society. 2009.

v t e U.S. National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota
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Keeper of the Register History of the National Register of Historic Places Property types Historic district Contributing property

• 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States
• 1870 establishments in Minnesota
• Buildings and structures in Sibley County, Minnesota
• Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota
• Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of New Ulm
• Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota
• Greek Revival church buildings in Minnesota
• Irish-American culture in Minnesota
• National Register of Historic Places in Sibley County, Minnesota
• Roman Catholic churches completed in 1870