The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project

Abbey Basilica of Mary Help of Christians

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Abbey Basilica of Mary Help of Christians (distant perspective view), Belmont Abbey College

Abbey Basilica of Mary Help of Christians (perspective view), Belmont Abbey College

Abbey Basilica of Mary Help of Christians (front facade), Belmont Abbey College

Abbey Basilica of Mary Help of Christians (interior, ca. 1894), Belmont Abbey College

Abbey Basilica of Mary Help of Christians (interior, view toward chancel, 1993), Belmont Abbey College

Abbey Basilica of Mary Help of Christians (interior, view toward rear of church, 1993), Belmont Abbey College

Institution Name: Belmont Abbey College
Original/Historic Place Name: Abbey Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians
Location on Campus: next to Monastery
Date(s) of Construction:

1892-1893	original design Dederichs, Peter
1909	addition of tower clock
1964-1965	complete interior renovation, addition of narthex Schmitt, Fredrich H.
1997	additions of station corridor; expansion of sacristy

Designer: Peter Dederichs; Fredrich H. Schmitt
Type of Place: Individual building
Style: Gothic revival, Victorian (Glossary)
Significance: architecture, culture, history, religion
Narrative: see below
References: see below

Materials:

Foundation: granite

Walls: brick and wood (bricks made on the property by Lentz and McKnight, a local firm of artisans)

Roof: slate

Function:

1893-present (2006)

chapel

Narrative:
The Abbey Basilica of Mary Help of Christians is the center of campus design. Its architectural style is German Gothic-Revival. The Basilica was the largest Catholic church in the state at the time of its construction, and the Benedictine monks of Belmont did much of the construction work themselves (with Brother Gilbert Koberzynski crafting the ceiling in the style of a sailing vessel).The interior of the church was completely renovated in 1964-1965.

The original art glass windows of the Basilica were painted then heat-fused, allowing for greater detail than was possible with stained glass. The windows were designed and executed by the Royal Bavarian Establishment of Francis Mayer and Company (Munich); they were part of a display that won four gold medals at the Columbian Exhibition, the World's Fair of 1892. The Basilica also held cathedral rank from 1910-1977. It was elevated to the rank of a Minor Basilica on July 27, 1998. The Basilica has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973.

References:

Abbey Basilica of Maryhelp. Brochure. Belmont, NC: Southern Benedictine Society of North Carolina, 1999.

Baumstein, Paschal. The Art of Michael McInerney. Booklet. Belmont, NC: The Archives of Belmont Abbey, 1992.

Baumstein, Pascal. A Carolina Basilica: a History of the Monastic Church at Belmont Abbey, Belmont, North Carolina. Booklet. Belmont, NC: Belmont Abbey College, 1999.

Baumstein, Pascal. The Legacy of Felix Hintemeyer. Booklet. Belmont, NC: Goodwill Publishers, 2000.

Baumstein, Pascal. My Lord of Belmont: A Biography of Leo Haid. Kings Mountain, NC: Herald House, 1985.

Baumstein, Pascal, and Debra G. Estes. Blessing the Years to Come: Belmont Abbey--A Pictorial Perspective. Belmont, NC: Belmont Abbey College, 1997.

Baumstein, Pascal, and Beth Bargar and Debra G. Estes. Booklet. A Walking Tour of Historic Belmont Abbey. Booklet. Belmont, NC: Belmont Abbey College, 1997.

Belmont Abbey Cathedral [Belmont Abbey College]. National Register of Historic Places designation report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior/National Park Service, 1972.

The Grotto and Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. Pamphlet. Belmont, NC: Southern Benedictine Soceity of North Carolina, 2001.

Hamilton, Boniface. "Deepening Union: A Benedictine Commitment." Typescript. St. Joseph, MN: The American Benedictine Academy, [2002?].