In addition to the church, the historic district includes the parish rectory, convent, and school building.

[2] The parish's first church building was a 20-by-28-foot (6.1 by 8.5 m) frame structure built in 1851 on the north side of town.

Brinkman suggested adding a side wing onto the 1874 structure, but the parishioners decided a new church was feasible.

[3] In 1921 a wing was added to the south side of the school building to house, not only increased enrollment, but an expansion to ten grades.

Joseph A. Dupont, set to work immediately to provide an adequate home for the Sisters.

This time a trained architect, Carimir Ignatius Krajewski from Dubuque, was chosen to design the new $13,545 Tudor Revival residence that was completed in 1926.

The church is a Gothic Revival, cross-shaped structure that features twin spires, which flank a tripartite entrance portal.

After the stone foundation was completed it was decided to build the structure with bricks that were manufactured in St. Louis, Missouri.

[6] Media related to St. Mary's Catholic Church (Guttenberg, Iowa) at Wikimedia Commons