This interesting pair of buildings creates an enduring West Side silhouette that transcends the gritty city blocks around it. The church was the cornerstone of the Irish community when it was built by the Jesuits in 1857. Rescued from demolition by fund-raising parishioners in 1990, the church today is undergoing meticulous restoration. Next door, the elaborate Second Empire facade of the prep school has been beautifully preserved. Built in 1870, the school offered students from all over the city the quality of a Jesuit education. Today more than 1,200 students come from every background and neighborhood to take advantage of its rigorous curriculum.