Saint Leo Parish and Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle
Church Sanctuary
Tacoma, WA
17,000 sq ft
Merritt+Pardini
In 1901, Tacoma pioneer Father Peter Hylebos purchased a political hall and built a 2,200-seat church to accommodate the rapidly growing Saint Leo Parish. Fire destroyed the church in 1919, forcing services into the parish gymnasium until in 1921, the parish began holding services in the only salvageable part of the church, the basement. This temporary measure eventually became permanent with some modernization taking place over the years.
After nearly 80 years, Mountain Construction was hired to complete major renovations. Heavy timber roof trusses, hidden above a ceiling, were upgraded while the church continued to hold services in the space below. After structural repairs were complete, the parish vacated the church while Mountain Construction completed the restoration, opening up the roof trusses to create a vaulted ceiling, installing new mechanical and electrical systems, as well as interior and exterior finishes.
