Old St. Raymond's Church
Encyclopedia
Old St. Raymond's Church is a historic church in Dublin, California
. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
on April 12, 2006.
The oldest extant Catholic church in Alameda
and Contra Costa
counties, it was built in 1859 and dedicated in 1860. The structure was erected on the northeast corner of 4 acre (0.01618744 km²) of land donated by Michael Murray and Jeremiah Fallon that also served as the site of the historic Old Murray Schoolhouse and Dublin Pioneer Cemetery
. Jeremiah donated $30 in cash toward the church's construction costs.
The church features simple Gothic Revival
design and a New England
-style clapboard
white exterior along with nicked wooden benches and wide-plank redwood
floors. The wood for the chapel came from the hills around Oakland
; the trees were brought over by oxen to be milled in Dublin. It was constructed by the Murray and Fallon families, Irish
immigrants from Elphin, County Roscommon
who left before the Great Famine and had lived in New York City
before joining some of the early wagon train
s to the west, including the Donner Party
. But both families parted with the Donner Party at Fort Bridger
. During construction of the church, pioneer, Tom Donlon, fell to his death on September 6, 1859 and became the first formal burial in the nearby Dublin Pioneer Cemetery.
Originally a mission church
, the local residents were unable to afford a full-time priest so a member of the Oakland clergy would ride to St. Raymond's once a month by mule
to offer Mass
. Later the church came under St. Leander's Church in San Leandro
, then St. Michael's in Livermore
and finally, in 1961 it came within the jurisdiction of St. Augustine's in Pleasanton
. It held its first wedding in 1865 between Ellen Fallon (daughter of Jeremiah) and William Tehan.. The belfry
was first added in 1880. In 1966, the church moved to a new, much larger location (also named St. Raymond's Church) and the Oakland Diocese
gave the old church to Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society (ALVHS) to be preserved and restored. ALVHS put the building to many uses, then sold the church to the City of Dublin in 1993. The city was also able to acquire the adjacent Old Murray Schoolhouse and the Dublin Pioneer Cemetery to set up an area deemed the Dublin Heritage Center. The City of Dublin rents the building out for community and private use.
The first recorded renovation of Old St. Raymond's Church was 1922, and the most recent soon after the city took possession of the structure. The church's general appearance has remained unchanged since its construction in 1859. Through private donations, a new bell tower was constructed; in 1967 the church's restoration was complete.
Dublin, California
Dublin is a suburban city of the East Bay region of Alameda County, California, United States. Located along the north side of Interstate 580 at the intersection with Interstate 680, roughly east of Hayward, west of Livermore and north of San Jose, it was named after the city of Dublin in...
. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on April 12, 2006.
The oldest extant Catholic church in Alameda
Alameda County, California
Alameda County is a county in the U.S. state of California. It occupies most of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,510,271, making it the 7th most populous county in the state...
and Contra Costa
Contra Costa County, California
Contra Costa County is a primarily suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 1,049,025...
counties, it was built in 1859 and dedicated in 1860. The structure was erected on the northeast corner of 4 acre (0.01618744 km²) of land donated by Michael Murray and Jeremiah Fallon that also served as the site of the historic Old Murray Schoolhouse and Dublin Pioneer Cemetery
Dublin Pioneer Cemetery
The Dublin Pioneer Cemetery is located in Dublin, California. It contains the remains of many of the pioneer settlers who arrived in the area following the 1848 discovery of gold in California. The cemetery was established in 1859 behind Old St...
. Jeremiah donated $30 in cash toward the church's construction costs.
The church features simple Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
design and a New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
-style clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
white exterior along with nicked wooden benches and wide-plank redwood
Redwood
-Trees:Conifers* Family Cupressaceae *** Sequoia sempervirens - coast redwood**** Albino redwood*** Sequoiadendron giganteum - giant sequoia*** Metasequoia glyptostroboides - dawn redwood* Family Pinaceae...
floors. The wood for the chapel came from the hills around Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
; the trees were brought over by oxen to be milled in Dublin. It was constructed by the Murray and Fallon families, Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
immigrants from Elphin, County Roscommon
Elphin, County Roscommon
Elphin, sometimes spelt Elfin , is a village in north County Roscommon, Ireland. It forms the southern tip of a triangle with Boyle and Carrick-on-Shannon to the north west and north east respectively. It is at the junction of the R368 and R369 regional roads...
who left before the Great Famine and had lived in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
before joining some of the early wagon train
Wagon train
A wagon train is a group of wagons traveling together. In the American West, individuals traveling across the plains in covered wagons banded together for mutual assistance, as is reflected in numerous films and television programs about the region, such as Audie Murphy's Tumbleweed and Ward Bond...
s to the west, including the Donner Party
Donner Party
The Donner Party was a group of American pioneers who set out for California in a wagon train. Delayed by a series of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846–47 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada...
. But both families parted with the Donner Party at Fort Bridger
Fort Bridger
Fort Bridger was originally a 19th century fur trading outpost established in 1842 on Blacks Fork of the Green River and later a vital resupply point for wagon trains on the Oregon Trail, California Trail and Mormon Trail. The Army established a military post here in 1858 during the Utah War until...
. During construction of the church, pioneer, Tom Donlon, fell to his death on September 6, 1859 and became the first formal burial in the nearby Dublin Pioneer Cemetery.
Originally a mission church
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
, the local residents were unable to afford a full-time priest so a member of the Oakland clergy would ride to St. Raymond's once a month by mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
to offer Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
. Later the church came under St. Leander's Church in San Leandro
San Leandro, California
San Leandro is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is considered a suburb of Oakland and San Francisco. The population was 84,950 as of 2010 census. The climate of the city is mild throughout the year.-Geography and water resources:...
, then St. Michael's in Livermore
Livermore, California
Livermore is a city in Alameda County. The population as of 2010 was 80,968. Livermore is located on the eastern edge of California's San Francisco Bay Area....
and finally, in 1961 it came within the jurisdiction of St. Augustine's in Pleasanton
Pleasanton, California
Pleasanton is a city in Alameda County, California, incorporated in 1894. It is a suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area located about east of Oakland, and west of Livermore. The population was 70,285 at the 2010 census. In 2005 and 2007, Pleasanton was ranked the wealthiest middle-sized city in...
. It held its first wedding in 1865 between Ellen Fallon (daughter of Jeremiah) and William Tehan.. The belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
was first added in 1880. In 1966, the church moved to a new, much larger location (also named St. Raymond's Church) and the Oakland Diocese
Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Northern California. The diocese comprises Alameda and Contra Costa Counties in the San Francisco Bay Area...
gave the old church to Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society (ALVHS) to be preserved and restored. ALVHS put the building to many uses, then sold the church to the City of Dublin in 1993. The city was also able to acquire the adjacent Old Murray Schoolhouse and the Dublin Pioneer Cemetery to set up an area deemed the Dublin Heritage Center. The City of Dublin rents the building out for community and private use.
The first recorded renovation of Old St. Raymond's Church was 1922, and the most recent soon after the city took possession of the structure. The church's general appearance has remained unchanged since its construction in 1859. Through private donations, a new bell tower was constructed; in 1967 the church's restoration was complete.