Pioneer Church, Burr Street, Saint John, Lake County, IN

Significance: John Hack, who immigrated in 1837, built the church. His family was the first to settle near St. John's. The Hack's house was located about one mile southeast of the church's present location. This site was the original location of the church. The site now plays host to the John Hack Cemetery. The 18 x 24 log cabin was built in 1839 on John Hack's land. Money for materials was a gift from Bishop de St. Palais of Vincennes. The materials were transported from Chicago on a weekly basis by oxen. In 1842, the Catholic Diocese of Vincennes withdrew its support from the Hack Church and built another church on its own property. Then in 1974, after withstanding moves and 135 years of weathering, the church was placed on the St. Mary's property and reclaimed by the Catholic Church.
Survey number: HABS IN-175