Our Steeples History

Our Journey Through Time

The history of St. Augustine's steeples spans nearly 150 years of changes and improvements. In 1874, the original single tower on the east end was removed, and 90-foot-high twin towers were added on the west end, with construction completed by master builder Joann Anton Goehr, a parishioner of St. Augustine. By 1876, the bells from the single tower were relocated to the north tower, with the largest bell christened "St Peter." In 1893, the towers underwent repairs and repainting at a cost of $700, and in 1897, Father Mailin purchased a tower clock for $650. The steeple cornices were painted and the large spheres and crosses were gilded in 1922. By 1929, the wooden steeple crosses were replaced with copper crosses and gilded with pure gold leaf. Extensive copper work was completed on the towers in 1939 at a cost of $3,200, with the copper chemically treated to a dark hue that eventually developed into a green-gray patina. In 1942, the clock and bell ringing systems were repaired and electrified. Between 1957 and 1963, as part of a large project to renovate the entire church, the twin towers were repaired, new copper spheres were placed under the crosses, and the towers, crosses, spheres, and clock numerals were gilded. In 1964, gale force wind gusts weakened the towers, requiring major reinforcement work by Wellman Brothers. During 1966-1967, the large bell, St Peter, became non-serviceable, leading to the discontinuation of the bells' use and the purchase of an electronic carillon. Finally, in 1996, the towers were illuminated at night.