Heather Hagedorn
Executive Director / Curator
This is National Historic Preservation Month! The Geary County Historical Society and the McDowell Creek community invite the public to an open house at St. Joseph's Historic Church on Saturday, May 16th from 10am-1pm.
St. Joseph's Historic Church, which is located at 13497 Lower McDowell Creek road, is the current restoration project of the Geary County Historical Society. The congregation of St. Joseph's dates back to Irish pioneers in the 1870s, and the current structure was built in 1910 by some of the same stonemasons that helped build historic Fort Riley. The church has been undergoing restoration by the Geary County Historical Society with the support of the McDowell Creek community since 2008.
Updates to the building include new windows, electricity installation, exterior masonry repairs, interior masonry and plaster repairs, dry wall repairs, a new roof, and most recently, the interior has been painted. Those interested in seeing the work that has been completed are invited to attend. Information on the historic cemetery and those buried in it will also be available.
Those interested in donating to the restoration project can send checks made out St. Joseph's Historic Church to the Geary County Historical Society 530 N Adams, Junction City KS 66441. .