Saint Mary in the Mountains Catholic Church in Virginia City, Nevada

St. Mary in the Mountains in Virginia City stands as Nevada's oldest active Catholic church. Built in eighteen sixty-eight, the building remarkably survived the Great Fire of eighteen seventy-five—though it required rebuilding by eighteen seventy-six. In nineteen fifty-seven, a group of Cistercian monks took over the parish and began systematically removing the church's original artwork, stained glass, and wooden features, earning them the nickname the Mad Monks. A newly assigned priest halted the destruction, recovered pieces that townspeople had saved, and started restoring the building to its original character. Atlas Obscura reports that St. Mary in the Mountains remains an active parish today, complete with a museum and gift shop.

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