St. Mary's Orthodox Catholic Church

St. Mary's, originally dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel, brings a transplanted touch of eastern Europe to the west bank of the Monongahela River in the appropriately named Westover neighborhood. Basically a rectangular block with a rounded apse, the church measures approximately 60 feet by 30 feet and is built of yellow brick. A prominent tower extends from the facade and terminates in a gilded onion dome. A smaller onion dome straddles the roof, where it rounds out to cover the apse. A traditional iconostasis, separating the nave from the sanctuary, provides the focal point of a richly decorated interior.

This architectural hybrid, easily viewed from many vantage points on the university's downtown campus across the river, was built by devout Catholics who found employment in the Morgantown area after they arrived in America but who wanted reminders of their homeland. The church also serves as a reminder that during the twentieth century Morgantown maintained close ties to Pittsburgh and its satellite towns, where such buildings are more numerous.