The parish of Our Lady of Loretto celebrated Mass in 1854 in a log cabin church, which was located next to the east side of the cemetery. Some years later, it burned. A parish house was built behind the present church about 1870 in the hopes of bringing a permanent priest to the little parish. At some point in time, it became a mission church of St. Aloysius in Sauk City.
Being without a church until 1880, the men in the parish embarked upon the project of constructing a more sturdy building than the one of logs. It was built of local limestone. While Peter Mettel and Nicolas Allart did the masonry work, the parishioners provided the labor and hauled stone and lumber as well. The shaping of the stones around the windows was done by Hugh Scallon. William Dresen of Sauk City was the carpenter and joiner. The building cost $1,800 to construct. The altar, shipped by train from Milwaukee, cost $150.
Imagine their satisfaction at the first Mass, when after months of hard work and sacrifice, they looked around at the altar, the beautiful walls, the statues, chandeliers. The "looked and found it good." As one final offering, they erected a wooden cross on the bluff next to the cemetery. The cross was a landmark and could be seen for miles around until, in 1918, a tornado destroyed it.
The church closed as a place of worship in the 1940s. It was turned over to the Sauk Prairie Area Historical Society, restored and is now a part of the area history. The church museum is important and honors the men and women who sacrificed much to create the original design. It takes us back to our roots helping us to pause and reflect on its history.
Written by: Lola Huber