It takes a lot of effort for a building to achieve that status of a historic building and even more to keep one in good condition.
- North Bend's St. Charles Borromeo Church and First Congressional Church in Geneva both recently joined the National Register of Historic Places.
- Max Williams visited North Bend to learn more about the process and the impact on the community.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A century-old Catholic church in North Bend has achieved national recognition for its historic significance, becoming one of the latest Nebraska landmarks to join the National Register of Historic Places.
St. Charles Borromeo Church was officially added to the prestigious registry on November 26, following a year-long restoration process that highlighted the building's remarkable history and craftsmanship.
"I went to church here all of my life. I had my sacraments here, was married here and still go to church here," Mary Buller said.
For Buller, the church represents generations of family history. Her grandfather and his siblings donated the altar near the start of the 20th century, contributing to the original $30,000 construction cost in 1916 — equivalent to about $900,000 today.
One of the church's most striking features is its stained glass windows, which came directly from artists in Munich, Germany. Each window cost around $600, nearly matching the yearly salaries of some townspeople at the time. Soon after, the Franz Mayer Company was destroyed during World War I, making the windows even more historically significant.
"That was the place where the holy seat, the pope, liked to have the windows produced so if it was good enough for the pope it was good enough for st charles," Anne Woita said.
After completing restoration work in 2022 and 2023, the parish decided to pursue national recognition. The entire community was invited for a celebration event on November 2, but the process nearly stalled due to an unexpected obstacle.
"We just about got it all done before we had our November 2 event, our tour, but the government shut down," Woita said.
Despite uncertainty about the outcome, church members found value in the research and restoration process itself.
"It got to a point where it didn't really matter at the end of the day because of all the research and things that went into it we knew what a gem we have here," Woita said.
St. Charles Borromeo Church joined the registry just before First Congressional Church in Geneva was added in December, highlighting Nebraska's rich architectural heritage.
"I think what it does is give an inspiration to a whole new generation to say we have these fabulous places, these wonderful historic places that we need to preserve," Woita said.
The recognition is already inspiring younger generations, with North Bend High School students celebrating events like pre-prom mass at the historic church.
The church plans to install a commemorative plaque next to the cornerstone on April 12, one week after Easter, marking their achievement.
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