125 years

The Saint Francis Xavier Chapel is significant as one of only two places of worship which survive on St. George Island. Funding for the construction of a Catholic church began in 1887 with a mass held at the Adams' Hotel. In 1889, Joseph and Sally Hobbs donated 19/100's of an acre next to the old island graveyard. The church was constructed in 1893. The church was closed in 1974 because the building was deemed unsafe. The roof fell in soon thereafter and the church filled with dirt and debris. In 1980 a group headed by Ann and Harrison Robrecht restored the church building. In 1987 the church reopened as "Saint Francis Xavier Chapel" a mission of Saint George Roman Catholic Church in Valley Lee. Masses are not held every week at this location.