December 29, 2010

On November 21, 1879, Father Beatus Maria Ziswyler organized Our Lady of Perpetual Help, also known as St. Mary’s Catholic Church, on Pond Creek Mountain near Altus (Franklin County). The church’s original frame building was constructed in 1881 at a cost of $1,000. The present Catholic church, shown here, was dedicated on September 2, 1902, and is built of native stone quarried nearby. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.