The sheer size and architectural beauty on the outside, is just as splendid as the attention detail on the inside.
But what's even more impressive, is that it was 150 years ago when the first stone was laid, in what would be a triumphant and tragic history for the St. Mary's in the Mountains church of Virginia City.
“It was five years and two days from the first mass that the great fire swept through Virginia City and the church stood in ruins,” says Patrick Neylan, museum curator for St. Mary’s in the Mountains.
This Catholic Church was originally built in 1868 and was rebuilt in 1876. Monks remodeled the place in the mid-1900s and then in 2008 a seismic retrograde gave the building new structural integrity.
Neylan says despite all the upgrades and changes, one large detail went overlooked.
“It was not realized the extent of some structural damage way up high in the bell tower.”
Damage that he says will allow rain and snow to leak into the building. This in turn is causing some interior problems to get worse.
“We've taken some temporary steps upstairs with plastic to prevent the water from coming into the building but it's certainly not a permanent fix.”
Despite the desperate need for a fix to the bell tower, access to the root of the problem has really been the biggest challenge for church officials.
“Everything is so far up into the air that either very expensive scaffolding has to be used or man lifts but they're susceptible to winds,” says Neylan.
The church is working to develop a cost estimate for the bell tower damage now, but with colder weather on the way, it's looking like they'll have to wait until next spring to make the repairs.
Fortunately for them, the church established a rather unique method to raising money for restoration in the early 2000s.
“The proceeds from the wine were kept aside and then were used as matching funds when we applied for grants,” says Neylan.
Neylan is referring to the church’s very own Mad Monk wine, named after the monks who came to Virginia City in the 1950s to restore the church.
The wine is made in Napa, but sold in a wine cellar alongside the church's museum. Together the two tell a rich history of St. Mary's in the Mountains, while also creating a bright future by generating revenue from sales and donations.
“It adds to the day to day operation of the church for the funding and the cost,” says Neylan.
Neylan says St. Mary’s in the Mountains primary role is of course to serve as a church, but over the year's it's really become an economic driver for Virginia City.
“We have people from 60 different countries down here last year, all 50 states, it's amazing where people come from."
Even a gift shop on the main floor was installed for tourists who visit. This too contributes to some of the church's most severe bills.
“Painting, utilities, just maintaining the everyday stuff, it's quite expensive,” says Neylan. “Sometimes in the winter time we go as high as $3,000 a month for an oil bill to heat the building."
When prices get that high, the church can't help but to be grateful for the tourists who come for a souvenir and to the locals who attend each week for mass.
