1948-1949: Improvements and a Missing Bell Tower?

Father Piontkowski's leadership, and the steady willingness of the parishioners to put their shoulders to the grind, so to speak, had put St. Patrick parish back on solid ground. During the second half of the decade, a number of improvements were made. In 1948, opalescent stained glass windows were installed in the nave of the church, and a Hammond organ was purchased. That same year the rectory got a new furnace, and three years later, the school got one as well. All of the parish exteriors were painted, and new desks replaced the old ones in the classrooms. One dramatic event apparently took place in the late 40s, although details continue to elude us: the bell tower of the church came down. Pictures of the church exterior taken in 1949 show the new façade with its rather plain cement pediment, and without the old tower that had graced the building for nearly 35 years.