Sacred Heart Cultural Center: Difference between revisions

The '''Sacred Heart Cultural Center''', originally known also as '''Sacred Heart Catholic Church''', is ana historic events center and a former [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] [[parish church]] located in [[Augusta, Georgia]]. The church was established to accommodate Augusta's growing Catholic immigrant population, which had outgrown the St. Patrick parish by the 1870s.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Sacred Heart Cultural Center Historical Marker |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=227061 |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=www.hmdb.org |language=en}}</ref>

With the Catholic immigrant population in Augusta outgrowing the St Patrick parish by the 1870s, plans for a new church began.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Sacred Heart Cultural Center Historical Marker |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=227061 |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=www.hmdb.org |language=en}}</ref> In 1874, FrFather Theodore Bulter purchasedacquired land for athe Catholicnew church and a Christian school servingintended to serve people of all denominations.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=About Us – Sacred Heart |url=http://sacredheartaugusta.org/learn/ |access-date=2023-09-02 |language=en-US}}</ref> TemporaryInitially, temporary structures were initially built, until the much grander structure could be constructed, and [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] priests were brought in to administerlead the new parish. The first bricksConstruction of the presentpermanent structurechurch werebuilding laidbegan in 1897, and itsthe first mass was held on December 2, 1900.

Sacred HearchHeart Catholic Church was builtdesigned in an ornatea cruciform Romanesque style, with aornate prominentfeatures including an Italian marble high altar in the [[apse]] and two side altars in the [[transept]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Sacred Heart Cultural Center |url=http://thingstodo.avidlocals.com/listing/sacred-heart-cultural-center.html |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=thingstodo.avidlocals.com}}</ref> The walls of the structure were heavily adorned with stained glass from Munich,<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Sacred Heart Church, Augusta Georgia |url=https://www.n-georgia.com/nps-augusta-sacred-heart-church.html |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=www.n-georgia.com}}</ref> totaling 94 windows.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2022-03-04 |title=The History of Sacred Heart Cultural Center - Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices |url=https://bhhsbeazleyrealtors.com/local/the-history-of-sacred-heart-cultural-center/ |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices - Beazley Realtors |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sacred Heart Cultural Center |url=https://www.exploregeorgia.org/augusta/arts-culture/galleries/sacred-heart-cultural-center |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=Official Georgia Tourism & Travel Website {{!}} Explore Georgia.org |language=en}}</ref> Six [[rose window]]s dominate the ends of transept, and the aisle windows depict various saints and Catholic symbols. The [[nave]] features a [[barrel vault]] ceiling, and a small dome crowns the crossing of the transept is crowned with a small dome.<ref name=":2" /> The facade of the church is dominateddistinguished by round towers capped with conical spires, and three stone arches surroundingframe the doorsmain entrances. The structurechurch is also notable for its elaborateintricate brickwork, featuringwhich includes 15 distinctdifferent kindstypes of brick.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />

The church hadserved been inthe Augusta community for 70 years, until it was closed in 1971 resultingdue fromto escaltingescalating maintenance costs and a declining population in the decreasingsurrounding neighborhood. populationThis asdecline was accelerated by two major floods of the Savannah River and the development of modern [[suburban]], developmentwhich shifteddrew populationsresidents away from downtown Augusta.<ref name=":4" /> While the building was vacant, it enduredsuffered muchfrom [[vandalism]] and was near destruction.<ref name=":3" />

ItSacred Heart was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1972.<ref name=":2" /><ref name="nris" />

In 1987, the Knox Foundation renovatedundertook a renovation of the building, andtransforming openedit asinto a vibrant cultural center offor the city for cultural events. TheToday, oldthe former rectory and school building are used house various non-profit groupsorganizations and arts organizationsgroups.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />