The stone base was sinking into the marshy soil and causing structural strain on the rest of the building.

[2] When it opened on May 31, 1875, it was the largest and most costly church in Saint Paul, described in the Pioneer Press as "the finest piece of architecture west of Chicago".

The school was originally located in an old blacksmith shop, which she described as "a mud-walled log hovel covered with bark and chinked with mud."

His funeral was the first service held in the newly built church, which was financed by loans raised in anticipation of Parsons' funds.

William W. Boyington of Chicago was commissioned to design a new building, located nearby at the corner of Ninth and Wacouta.