The original house of worship for St. Peter Martyr of Verona Catholic Church stood at Cutter and West 2nd Streets, about 250 feet from this site. Dominican friars traveled from nearby towns to minister to local Catholics, most of them Sicilian-Italians. The faithful built and dedicated the first structure as a mission on December 12, 1884. The lath and plaster building measured 50 feet by 30 feet and had high ceilings, a sanctuary, and two sacristies. Fire destroyed the building in 1906, and it was rebuilt in 1910. St. Peter Martyr of Verona was first designated a parish on November 1, 1914. In 1922, the building was moved to West 8th Street near Black Diamond Street, and a permanent structure replaced it in 1931.