Historic Churches
St. Patrick's Catholic Church – Sonora
St. Patrick's Catholic Church, located at 116 W. Bradford Street , Sonora , was built in 1875. Another church, constructed in 1863, once stood in this same spot. St. Patrick's has been in continuous use since its construction and is still used to this day.
"The Red Church " - Sonora
Everyone who lives in the Gold Country refers to Sonora 's red church as “The Red Church” for obvious reasons. Constructed of bright red bricks and standing out at a protruding corner downtown, the church is actually St. James Episcopal Church. It was built in 1860.
49er Church – Columbia
Like many other churches in the historic Highway 49 Gold Country, churches are known by a common name to the locals but are actually affiliated with a specific denomination. Such is the case of the Presbyterian Church in the well-preserved town of Columbia , which is now a State Historic Park . Located at the corner of Jackson Street and Gold Street , The Presbyterian Church is affectionately known to area residents and historians as “The Church of the 49ers.” Gold was first discovered in Columbia on March 27, 1850 . In 1854, 15 pioneers and the Rev. John Brodt gathered to organize the “First United Presbyterian Church of Columbia.” They met in the former Methodist church, a tiny building that sat at the same location. The Church of the 49ers was completed in 1864. The original building burned to the ground in 1950, but 86 years later, an exact replica was constructed following the old records and photographs. In December 2004, a second mortgage of $100,000 was paid off so the note was burned to celebrate the group's 150th year.
St. Ann's – Columbia
The stunning St. Ann's Church, just outside of the Columbia State Historic Park, is believed to be the oldest standing original church structure in the entire Mother Lode. The towering brick building features arched windows on all four sides with a nearly three-story tall belfry. The bell, at a cost of $1,500, was cast in New York and brought around the Horn. The front of the churchyard serves as the church's cemetery. Twice St. Ann 's Catholic Church has undergone major restoration: first in 1926, and again in a three-phase project from 1979 through 1982. After the completion of phase two, the doors re-opened on Christmas Eve, 1980.
Chinese Camp
Built in 1855, the St. Francis Xavier Church in Chinese Camp is thought to be the second oldest surviving Roman Catholic Church in the Mother Lode. Although very little remains of the community of Chinese Camp, the wood-frame church, which sits on a dry stone foundation, is in much the same condition as it was 150 years ago. Even a few of the original pews remain inside which are constructed with square nails. The churchyard serves as one of two cemeteries in the area; with the earliest know burial in 1862. Only a few alterations have been made to the building itself beginning in 1948 when the belfry was removed and a new door replaced the old back door, however the original lock and key are still in use. Church services have not been held in St. Francis Xavier since the 1920s, however in 1952 “High Noon” was filmed in Chinese Camp with the church in some of the scenes. The western, considered to be one of the all-time best, starred Thomas Mitchell, Gary Cooper, Harry Morgan, Lloyd Bridges, Grace Kelly and Lon Chaney.
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
This church has served the folks of the Big Oak Flat and Groveland areas since it was dedicated in 1860. As in most early mining camps, a fire roared through Big Oak Flat in 1863 and destroyed every wooden structure except this little church at the top of the hill.
As the population of the area fluctuated several times from the 1860s to today, so did membership at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Placer mining gave out in the late 1860s so the population dropped. It grew again in the 1890s with the advent of hard-rock mining. After another drop in residents, more people moved there in 1916 with the construction of the Hetch Hetchy Water and Power Project. Still in use continuously, the church was extensively refurbished in 1977, and in 1988 saw the addition of a 16-foot extension.