St. Catherine’s Church (Part 2)
Shortly after the Civil War, the number of Catholics in Warwick
had grown to the extent that they felt ready to have a church of
their own. With very little funds, they were successful in building
a small, 24 x 60 foot, modest wooden building. They had hoped this
would be but the beginning and in time a much more substantial structure
would be erected.
The Panic of 1873
Unfortunately, 1873 was a year of a very serious "Panic"
or "Depression" which had a devastating effect on all
of Rhode Island. The collapse of the A. & W. Sprague Mfg. Company,
the major employer in Warwick, seriously curtailed the textile industry
at the time. It has often been said that, while Samuel Slater brought
the textile industry to Rhode Island, it was the Spragues who nurtured
it and made it a powerful economic force. Most mill hands were shocked
as they thought the powerful company would never shut its doors.
Poor management and political enemies worked against the Spragues
and while they had assets of over $20 million, they had incurred
debts exceeding that amount. The demand for payment by the Sprague
creditors and mismanagement by trustees forced the liquidation of
the Sprague fortune and closed the mills. Unstable working conditions
meant no increase in the Irish and French Catholic population for
a while.
The Oriental Print Works
More problems occurred in Apponaug when Alfred A. Reed, the man
behind the Oriental Print Works' success, died. By 1883, the Oriental
Print Works ceased to exist. As a result, Apponaug's population
declined, as did interest in building a larger church structure.
Fortunately, this blight didn’t last very long as a new company
came in to bring a greater prosperity to the village.
The void caused by the collapse of the Sprague Company was soon
filled by the fast growing B. B. & R. Knight company. Led by
the genius of Robert Knight, the company brought even greater prosperity
to the state and to Warwick mills. Soon more workers were needed
and the number of Irish, French Canadian, Polish and Italian immigrants
increased.
The Apponaug Company
By the turn of the century, interest in the building of a substantial
church was re-kindled as Warwick's Catholic population began to
rise. In 1913, even while some textile mills were suffering from
a slump, prosperity returned to Apponaug. The reason was that Alfred
Lustig, a very talented chemist and business man, established the
Apponaug Print Works.
This highly successful venture focused the attention of the textile
industry on the village and brought about an increase in population.
Within a few years, the Catholics were numerous enough to purchase
some of the Brags' property on Main Street (now Post Road) in Apponaug
and construction began on the present St. Catherine's Church building
in 1916. World War I intervened, however, and because of the shortage
of materials, the church was not completed until 1919. The present
church at the corner of Post Road and Colonial Avenue is the result.
The church is a one-story, gable-roofed, brick building on an elevation
that affords a commanding view of the village. Below a circular,
stained glass window is a lovely arched entrance portico, supported
by four columns with ornate capitals. Later additions and improvements
include a large extension and a finished basement.
One of Apponaug’s fine old houses:
In addition to its Church and Rectory, St.Catherine's Parish in
Apponaug also had a convent at 3181 Post Road as part of its complex.
The present owners, Mr. & Mrs. Raymond A. O’Connell, fulfilled
an early dream when they purchased this historic home in 1988. It
was once owned by Mayor John O’Brien. This house, on the corner
of Post Road and Spruce Street, was built in the 1930's to replace
a home that was built by Caleb R. Hill around 1860.
A new location for the Hill house
Fortunately, the Hill house has not been lost. The large, two-and-a-half
story, gable roofed building with arched windows, was moved from
its original location to 100 Spruce Street. This structure reflects
the transition from the Greek Revival to the Italianate Style with
its wide veranda and attractive arched side windows. While it is
no longer located on the Post Road, it remains one of Apponaug's
fine 19th century dwellings.
In 1923, John H. O'Brien, the 2nd Mayor of Warwick (1934-36) and
a parishioner at St. Catherine's, purchased the house and the very
large lot that encompassed the entire block bounded by Spruce, Coyle
and Prospect Streets. During the 1930's, a fire destroyed some of
the interior of the O'Brien home and he decided to move the dwelling
to its present location and build a new house on the Post Road corner.
The Convent
This new O'Brien home, now 3181 Post Road, was purchased by St.
Catherine's parish in 1955. In 1971, the house was remodeled by
the parish and served as a convent for three Sisters of Mercy until
very recently
Mary P. and Raymond A. O’Connell purchased the house in March
1988. Over seventeen years ago, Ray told his wife, "Someday,
I will own this house." At that time, Mary was the coordinator
of religious education for St. Catherine's. Two of the nuns who
lived at the convent, Sister Patricia Farley and Sister Carol McGovern,
were the co-directors of education and, along with Mary O'Connell,
used the basement of the house to store audio-visual equipment.
On many occasions, Ray would be asked to carry the material, as
many of the projectors were too heavy for the ladies. It was during
those years that Ray came to greatly admire the house and when he
heard that St. Catherine's was placing it for sale, he immediately
made it known that he was interested. Part of the reason for the
O'Connells' interest in acquiring the house was the belief that
they would soon be caring for their aged parents and would need
the extra room.
Both Mary and Ray are very pleased with the house. They especially
enjoy the sunroom and take advantage of the large flagpole that
is on the property. They always fly the American flag and on special
occasions, such as the wedding of their daughter, they fly the Irish
flag. The O'Connells feel they have fulfilled a worthy ambition
in purchasing the house and it meets their needs.