St. Mary’s Catholic Church restoration reveals historic brick hidden for decades

Lincoln, Neb. (KLKN) — After more than a century of standing across from the Nebraska State Capitol, St. Mary’s Catholic Church is seeing some major renovations.

The biggest change people will notice is the church’s exterior. White paint that has covered the building for more than 60 years is being removed, revealing the original brick and stone underneath.

“Once we got into the removal, we recognized what a tremendous beautiful building this is. It’s really an architectural gem,” Father Joseph Walsh of St. Mary’s Catholic Church said.

The work is part of a restoration that began in 2021.

Crews are removing the peeling paint, cleaning more than a century of buildup and repairing brick, stone and mortar. Underneath, they’re uncovering details that haven’t been seen in decades, including the original brick and red sandstone.

Walsh said seeing those details led to the decision to leave the brick exposed.

But there’s a reason the church was painted white in the first place.

“They added the two stairwells in the ’60s, and they couldn’t find the matching brick,” administrative assistant Riley Bittner said. “And so the easiest way to make the whole color scheme of the church be one color was by painting it.”

The building’s history dates back to 1888, when it was originally built as First Christian Church.

The Diocese of Lincoln bought it in 1904, and after a fire two years later, much of the church had to be rebuilt.

It later served as the cathedral for the Diocese of Lincoln until 1965.

Walsh said the church remains a recognizable part of downtown Lincoln.

“People experience, you know, I come over the viaduct on K Street, and the first thing I see is the Capitol, and you see the towers of this beautiful church, you know,” Walsh said. “So, it’s kind of a welcoming landmark in the city of Lincoln.”

Walsh said about $4.5 million has gone into the overall restoration so far, with the exterior phase costing about $1.5 million.

That work is expected to be finished in spring 2027.