St. Joseph Catholic Church (Tontitown, Arkansas)
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a parish of the Catholic Church located in Tontitown, Arkansas, in the Diocese of Little Rock. The parish and the town were established by a group of Italian Americans led by Father Pietro Bandini, who settled in the area as miners and tenant farmers in the late 19th century. According to local tradition, a picture of Saint Joseph hanging in the schoolhouse was untouched by an arson fire, and the parish was therefore dedicated to him. The historic parish church is located at 110 E. Henri de Tonti Boulevard . It is a large Late Gothic structure, built in 1939–44 from rusticated concrete blocks that were fashioned on site. Its architecture is characterized by buttresses, lancet-arched windows, and a square tower with open belfry projecting at one corner. The main entrance, on the south gable end, has a projecting arched surround finished in stucco. The church has been a major cultural civic center for the local Italian community, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.