St. Marys
Saint Marys, Elk County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Founded, 1842, as Marienstadt, by the German-American Catholic Brotherhood, St. Marys was a haven from persecution. It was aided by the Roman Catholic Church, Baltimore merchants, and Ludwig I, King of Bavaria.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In 1842 German-American Catholics founded this Elk County town as Marienstadt—"Mary's City"—a refuge where a persecuted immigrant community could worship and build freely in the Pennsylvania highlands. The venture drew remarkable backing: the Roman Catholic Church, sympathetic Baltimore merchants, and even Ludwig I, King of Bavaria, who lent aid from across the Atlantic. Out of that faith-driven settlement grew the enduring town of St. Marys.
Why it matters
St. Marys is a vivid example of how mid-19th-century German Catholic immigrants sought religious freedom by planting entire communities in the American interior, knitting Old World patronage to New World opportunity.
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Related people
- · Ludwig I of Bavaria
Related events
- · Founding of St. Marys (Marienstadt), 1842
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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