After the first Sacred Heart Church was destroyed by a tornado in 1878, it was decided to move to a new location. It was believed that the Angle Street site was in a storm path. Sacred Heart’s pastor, Father O’Connor, selected the new site in the northwest part of Monticello, presently West 7th Street. Mr. Cashen sold the church five acres of land for $100 per acre, which was considered quite a price for land at the time.
Dubuque architect Keenan drew plans for a 30×80 foot church. Frank Fry and John Bignelli used rock from the quarry easy of town for its construction. The church cost $7,000. Additional furnishings and pastor’s residence brought the total cost to $12,000. Sacred Heart Church moved to its present location in 1914.
The rock church and parsonage were purchased by Claude Fothergill in 1929. Fothergill built a home using the stone from the church. The home’s wooden floors were made from the church’s wooden floor. And the rock cornerstone reads 1880.