Built in 1901, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
is a hallmark example of the Late Gothic Revival style and was
one of the first Catholic churches erected in Spokane. With its
prominent Gothic arches, Gothic label moldings, Gothic window
tracery, stepped buttresses, quatrefoils, brick masonry
construction, tall steeple and pinnacle, and cruciform plan, the
church embodies distinctive characteristics
of the architectural style and possesses high artistic values.
A 1901 Spokesman-Review newspaper article described the
religious structure as “one of the prettiest small churches in
the Northwest” and specifically noted the building’s “Gothic”
style, “beautiful windows set with antique German cathedral
glass,” and exquisitely crafted main alter which was made of
“hand-carved oak” A two-story brick masonry building located
adjacent west of the church was built in 1924 as St. Joseph’s
Catholic Convent. It is a fine depiction of the Collegiate
Gothic style and was constructed to house the
nuns who were responsible for the parochial education of
children throughout St. Joseph’s parish. The church and convent
represent the work of one of Spokane’s most accomplished
architects, Julius A. Zittel, a prolific architect who designed
numerous ecclesiastical and scholastic buildings in the Spokane
region and was appointed Washington’s “state architect” in
1897. Zittel generously rendered his services “free of charge”
in 1901 for his work on St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.
Achieving importance from 1901 to 1956, St. Joseph’s Catholic
Church & Convent illustrate development trends and patterns of
growth associated with the establishment of Catholic parishes
and parochial education in the city, and help demonstrate the
urban development and settlement of Ide’s Addition and the
surrounding neighborhood in West Central Spokane.
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of the architectural style and possesses high artistic values.
A 1901 Spokesman-Review newspaper article described the
religious structure as “one of the prettiest small churches in
the Northwest” and specifically noted the building’s “Gothic”
style, “beautiful windows set with antique German cathedral
glass,” and exquisitely crafted main alter which was made of
“hand-carved oak” A two-story brick masonry building located
adjacent west of the church was built in 1924 as St. Joseph’s
Catholic Convent. It is a fine depiction of the Collegiate
Gothic style and was constructed to house the.jpg)
nuns who were responsible for the parochial education of
children throughout St. Joseph’s parish. The church and convent
represent the work of one of Spokane’s most accomplished
architects, Julius A. Zittel, a prolific architect who designed
numerous ecclesiastical and scholastic buildings in the Spokane
region and was appointed Washington’s “state architect” in
1897. Zittel generously rendered his services “free of charge”
in 1901 for his work on St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.
Achieving importance from 1901 to 1956, St. Joseph’s Catholic
Church & Convent illustrate development trends and patterns of
growth associated with the establishment of Catholic parishes
and parochial education in the city, and help demonstrate the
urban development and settlement of Ide’s Addition and the
surrounding neighborhood in West Central Spokane.