St. Joseph Catholic Church
Pine Bluff, Arkansas

St. Mary Catholic Church at Plum Bayou

St. Mary Catholic Church, the Oldest Catholic Church in Arkansas, was first built on a barge at Arkansas Post located on the Arkansas River.  Arkansas Post being the earliest settlement in Arkansas along the entire river line of the Arkansas River that joins the Mississippi River.  The church was moved off the barge in 1832 and was relocated to Jefferson County.  In 1838, Sr. Agnes Hart and several Sisters of Loretto came to Arkansas to start a school that was to be the first Catholic School in the state.  The church was later moved to it's present location on Plum Bayou not too far northeast of Pine Bluff.  The wooden structure was over laid with brick in 1927.  The church and cemetery waned in attendance and influence over the years due to the close proximity to St. Joseph Catholic Church in Pine Bluff which now cares and oversees the property and cemetery of St. Mary Catholic Church. Pictures of the exterior and interior of the church are shown below.

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