On May 31, 1889, St. John Gualbert's parish experienced not only a great loss, but also a nearly miraculous rescue. The church itself burned down in the midst of the floodwaters, having caught fire when the burning Wolfe residence crashed into it. However, in the nearby convent, the nine Sisters of Charity had retreated to a small second-floor chapel when the wave struck. The raging water tore away two-thirds of the building, but the chapel corner remained intact, and all the nuns were rescued the next morning.
The present church, a block from the original site, was completed in 1896 and is one of Johnstown's earliest examples of the use of structural steel in building.
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