Derby History Quiz #19

Quiz #18    Archives of all quizzes

For the first time since this quiz started two years ago, no one got the answer to our quiz! A couple of people noticed St. Mary's Church and the corner of the St. Mary's School which no longer exists.

The pictured celebration marked the laying of the cornerstone of the convent for St. Mary's Church, the first Roman Catholic Church in Derby. The Church originally catered to the Irish immigrants of the city, but also served later waves of immigrants including the Polish and Italian communities. If you look carefully at the picture, you can see St. Mary's School on the right in the picture. The Sisters of Mercy who came to live in the convent staffed the school. The school itself was also torn down, though a newer school opened in the 1950's on Seymour Avenue across from Irving School. Today St. Michael's and St. Mary's parishes share that new building as well as the St. Michael's campus on the east side of town.

For a current view of the church, click here.

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