The "new" church was built 1885-1887, having built a "basement" church first and held services there. It is possible the Buffington was acquired for the lower church and used until the upper church was completed and the Barckhoff was purchased.

An organ (builder not identified) was in place by December 1887. According to the Lancaster Intelligencer of 28 Dec 1887:
St. Joseph' Catholic The first mass at St. Joseph's Catholic church waa celebrated at 5 o'clock by Father Grotemyer, prior to which the Adeste Fideles was finely rendered. The choir at this masa sung the Gloria and Credo from Rosewig's mass, at the offertory "Jesu Redemptor" by Bollman [sic] the Sanctus, from Dochaur's mass, and tbe benediction, Agnus Dei and Kyrie, from Mozart's Twelfth. At ten o'clock Bollman's mass in D was sung and in the afternoon Fiske's vespers. Peter Weber presided at the organ, Philip Weber officiated as choir leader, Ernest Rcehm sung the bass solos, George Miller the tenor, Miss Mary Gans the soprano and Miss Mary Houser the alto. The decorations at this church were not elaborate but very neat Evergreens were twined around the large columns and wreaths were suspended from the gas chandeliers. On the altar were evergreens and flowers. The number of communicants at this church as well as at the other Catholic churches, was very large at the 5 o'clock mass.

Replaced by Barckhoff in 1891.