Demolition Underway At St. Mary's Carmelite Property

JOLIET, IL — The old St. Mary Carmelite Catholic Church has been empty since 1991. Now, 31 years later, the adjacent property, called the Fiat House, is being knocked down.

The Fiat House is the former rectory where the Catholic priests lived for decades when St. Mary's remained a viable Catholic parish. The building is just south of the church, built in the 1870s.

The Gould Brothers Excavating and Demolition began tearing down The Fiat House on Thursday at 113 North Ottawa Street. Employees told Patch the demolition work may take two to three weeks.

As for the old St. Mary's church, that is not being torn down.