Welcome to the Baraga House

DID you know that the baraga house is the oldest standing house in marquette, MI?
The Baraga House was built in 1857 and is the oldest house in Marquette County. Originally the house was behind St. Peter Cathedral. It was formerly used as a parish; the first floor being used for the church, the second story being a place of residents for the priest.
Bishop Baraga moved into the house in 1866. He was very minimalistic. From personal stories told, we know that there was no electricity, no furnace. It did have a small wood stove in the death room. We know that while Baraga was here, the upstairs wasn’t used much, because he knew that it would be too costly to maintain and heat this large of a building. So he worked and lived predominantly downstairs.
Bishop Baraga passed away in 1868 and after that a Marquette resident, Charlie McCabe bought the building and turned it into a private residency.
The original foundation’s exterior was wood clapboard siding, it became bricked in 1872 when the Baraga house moved to its present location at 615 S. Fourth Street, Marquette, MI 49855. When the building was moved, the original house was added onto another building that was already there.
The McCabe family used the house as a residence and lived here from 1872 to 1909. In 1909, the Fleury family approached the McCabes regarding the opportunity to buy the house. It stayed in the Fleury Family until 1988. In 1988 son, Wilfred Fluery passed away and left the Baraga House in his will to the Diocese of Marquette.