[2] Bishop Frederic Baraga, then located in L'Anse, Michigan, spearheaded efforts to build a new church.

[2] In the late nineteenth century, the Keweenaw Peninsula had seen an explosive growth due to the local copper mining industry, and a substantial, ethnically diverse population of Catholics had taken up residence in the Houghton area.

[3] St. Ignatius Loyola Church is an imposing Neo-Gothic structure located on the hillside above downtown Houghton.

[2] It is constructed of red, Jacobsville sandstone with a symmetrical gabled facade centering on a square tower topped with a spire.

The tower belfry contains a single brass bell, cast in 1860 by the Jones and Hitchcock Company of Troy, New York.