Old Mission: Mission of the Sacred Heart stands on a hill overlooking the Coeur d’Alene River, which runs nearby. The mission was constructed in 1850-1853 by Catholic missionaries and members of the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe. The Old Mission is the oldest standing building in Idaho today. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Mission Interior: The interior of Mission of the Sacred Heart is simple but beautiful. The aged wood floor leads to the altar area of the mission. The altar, carvings and much of the interior decor was crafted by Father Antonio Ravalli who designed and supervised the construction of the mission. The blue color of the ceiling seen at the top of this photo was stained by pressing local huckleberries into the wood. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
Old Mission State Park is a unique day park near Cataldo, Idaho. One could refer to this as a heritage park, a museum, or a historical park and all would be correct descriptions of the Old Mission State Park.
The centerpiece of the park is the Mission of the Sacred Heart, which was constructed in 1850-1853. The mission is the oldest standing building in the state of Idaho. The mission was named a historical landmark in 1961 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. The area became a state park in 1975.
Also featured at Old Mission State Park is the Parish House, which sits next to the mission and a cemetery. The visitors center at the park includes an honored permanent exhibit titled “Sacred Encounters: Father De Smet and the Indians of the Rocky Mountain West”.
Old Mission State Park sits on a small hill near the Coeur d’Alene River about 28 miles east of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The mission and Parish House were used for worship by the Coeur d’Alene Tribe as well as a community center for the tribe. The Parish House was built in 1887 next to the mission and was a center for business and social life within the tribe.
Given its location next to the Coeur d’Alene River, the mission grounds also were a center for transport of goods and personnel for the silver mines and other nearby operations in northern Idaho.
The structure of the Mission of the Sacred Heart is unique. Catholic missionaries and members of the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe constructed the building. No nails were used in the construction of the mission structure. The building was built using the wattle and daub method, which is similar to adobe buildings in the southwest.
The walls are a woven wood lattice called wattle and a composite of wet clay and soil and straw make up the daub. Like adobe structures, the walls are thick using this method of construction. The walls of the old mission are about a foot thick. Large timbers were used to frame and support the structure and wood pegs were used to hold the timbers together.
The alter, crosses and carvings seen in the interior of the mission were crafted by Father Antonio Ravalli, a Catholic missionary who spent most of his adult life serving tribes in Montana and Idaho. Father Ravalli designed and supervised construction of the mission.
The walls of the Mission of the Sacred Heart, both interior and exterior, were covered by boards in 1865. The blue coloring on the wood on the ceiling of the mission was not paint but a stain created by pressing local huckleberries into the wood.
The Parish House also is open for visitors to tour. This house was completed in 1887 and home to priests upstairs as well as a center for many activities on the main floor downstairs. The downstairs included a parlor, kitchen, eating area and a prayer room.
The permanent exhibit in the visitors center titled “Sacred Encounters: Father De Smet and the Indians of the Rocky Mountain West” is a museum and learning center, which tells the story of the missionaries and the tribes of the Pacific Northwest. The exhibit covers how and why the missionaries arrived in the area and the culture and lifestyle of the missionaries and the Coeur d’Alene and other tribes and the effects of the encounters on both parties. The more detailed coverage of this union of cultures was very interesting.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Lines of Age: The front door to the Mission of the Sacred Heart shows lines of age and character, which have occurred during the 169 years of use of the historic mission. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Parish House and Mission: The Parish House sits on the hill next to the Old Mission. The house was constructed in 1887 and was a home for priests upstairs and an active community center for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Parlor: The parlor on the first floor of the Parish House was a gathering area for many activities during the 1800s by the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and others who were passing through the area. The house was a center for business and social life within the community. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
