Saint Mary's

Saint Mary's is a Michigan historical marker in Niles, Berrien County, dedicated 1972.

211 South Lincoln, Niles

Get directions ↗Start a road trip Historical trails

The Roman Catholic Church in Niles traces its origins to the Indian mission established at nearby Fort St. Joseph in the late 1600s. Re established at Bertrand, three miles south of Niles, in the 1830s, the mission moved into town in 1849 and was renamed St. Francis’s. In 1866 the cornerstone of the present building was laid, and on December 11, 1870, the church was dedicated to St. Mary. Designed by Rufus Rose of Niles, with later modifications by Father John Cappon, the church was completed in 1890 with the construction of the Gothic tower. Father Cappon, known as the “parish’s greatest benefactor,” was a Belgian born priest who served as pastor for over thirty years. He gave generously of his large personal estate for many parish improvements.

TodayHistorical map

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

Digital Commonwealth, Boston Public Library

Historical maps covering this location

1849 · Illinois (Mitchell/Cowperthwait, 1849) (Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1850 · Indiana (Tanner/Cowperthwait, 1850) (Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1853 · Map of the surveyed part of Michigan (Digital Commonwealth, Boston Public Library)
1873 · (Map of Berrien County, Michigan) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
Map of Indian Trails (Historical map archives, georeferenced via Allmaps)

Map of the surveyed part of Michigan, 1853, covering the location of Saint Mary's, with a pin at the marker's coordinates — Map of the surveyed part of Michigan, 1853, covering this location. Digital Commonwealth, Boston Public Library. The pin is ours, placed from the marker's coordinates.

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Marker data: Michigan History Center
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