April 3, 2011

This church was one of the first buildings constructed by citizens of Tontitown (Washington County), a community settled by Italian Catholics in the late nineteenth century. A picture of St. Joseph had miraculously survived an 1898 fire in the building, resulting in the repaired church being named St. Joseph Catholic Church when it was dedicated in 1900. In 1934, a tornado swept through the area, destroying many buildings, including the church. A new church was built in 1942.