Previous site of Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church (48 King Street)
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Although the Historic District is very much intact, there are some significant buildings that are no longer standing.
The brick Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church once stood at 48 King Street, at the corner of King and Maple (now Silver Street). From 1859-1910, the church and parish school served the bustling German immigrant community. In 1869, one of Rochester’s greatest calamities happened at the church’s German School during an Epiphany Festival. The attendance was very large, and the crowd was mostly on the second floor, enjoying the music. Suddenly, the floor collapsed inward, dropping to the floor below. As the second floor gave way, the third floor lost its support, and hundreds of bodies and debris came crushing down on top of those below. In all, eight people were killed, and fifty more were seriously injured. After the turn of the century, the church sold the property to the expanding railroad and moved into a new building on West Main Street in 1911-12. |