▁It ▁was ▁designated ▁a ▁Michigan ▁State ▁Historic ▁Site ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁and ▁listed ▁on ▁the ▁National ▁Register ▁of ▁Historic ▁Places ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁Mary ▁Im mac ulate ▁of ▁L our des ▁Church . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁a ▁flo od ▁of ▁Italian ▁imm igr ants ▁arrived ▁in ▁Iron ▁Mountain ▁to ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁nearby ▁iron ▁mines . ▁These ▁Italian ▁C athol ics ▁first ▁wor sh ipped ▁at ▁St . ▁Joseph ' s ▁in ▁dow nt own ▁Iron ▁Mountain . ▁However , ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 0 , ▁those ▁living ▁on ▁the ▁north ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁organized ▁an ▁" Ital ian ▁Church ," ▁and ▁received ▁permission ▁to ▁start ▁their ▁own ▁parish . ▁That ▁year , ▁they ▁constructed ▁a ▁frame ▁structure ▁near ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁present ▁church ▁and ▁a ▁priest ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁parish . ▁The ▁original ▁frame ▁church ▁burn ed ▁down ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 3 , ▁but ▁work ▁quickly ▁began ▁on ▁a ▁replacement . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 9 0 2 ▁Father ▁Giovanni ▁Sin op oli ▁di ▁Gi unta ▁arrived ▁in ▁Iron ▁Mountain ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁the ▁parish ▁priest . ▁Father ▁Sin op oli ▁was ▁a ▁former ▁count ▁from ▁Sic ily ▁who ▁had ▁ren ounced ▁his ▁title ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁serve ▁Italian ▁imm igr ants ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁The ▁new ▁priest ▁quickly ▁organized ▁a ▁building ▁committee ▁to ▁fund ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁church ▁and ▁drew