Church of All Saints (Keokuk, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Peter Church
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 301 S. 9th St. Keokuk, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1879-1885 |
| Architect | William John Dillenburg Joseph Conradi |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 83000384 |
| Added to NRHP | July 14, 1983 |
The Church of All Saints is a Catholic Church located in Keokuk, Iowa, United States. It belongs to the Diocese of Davenport. The church building is famous enough to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is listed under its original name, St. Peter Church, which was the name of the group that first built it.
The Church of All Saints was created in 1982. This happened when three older churches in Keokuk joined together. These were St. Peter's (started in 1856), St. Mary's (1867), and St. Francis de Sales (1870). All three churches shared their furniture and other items to help the new All Saints church. The main church building for All Saints is the former St. Peter's church. The St. Francis de Sales church building was later taken down.
Contents
A Look Back: The Church's History
The land where Keokuk is today was once part of the Half-Breed Tract. This was a special area set aside in 1825 by the United States Senate. It was for people of mixed heritage, whose parents were part Sac or Fox tribes and part French trappers. These families could live there but could not sell their land until 1837.
Early Priests and Missions
The first priest known to visit the Keokuk area was Father Charles Felix Van Quickenborne in 1832. He thought a church could easily be built there. Later, Father Peter Paul Lefevere visited and found 38 Catholics in the area. In 1840, Father Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli from Burlington, Iowa added Keokuk to his missionary trips.
Another priest, Father John George Alleman, also visited Keokuk regularly from Fort Madison, Iowa. However, he could not raise enough money to build a church. He continued to visit the area until 1848.
Founding of First Parishes
The first Catholic church in Keokuk was St. John the Evangelist. It was started in 1844 by Father Lucien Galtier, who became its first pastor. The church was a small log building on Second and Blondeau Streets. It was built by Hugh V. Gildea with Father Galtier's help. The church cost $598.37, paid for by a group called the Society of the Propagation of the Faith.
Father Galtier stayed only a few months. Father Alleman then took care of the Keokuk parish again. In 1848, Father Jean Villars became the pastor and stayed for nine years.
St. Peter's Church Begins
In 1855, Father William Emonds bought new land for a church. This is where St. Peter's Church was founded. By this time, many German Catholics had moved to Keokuk after the 1848 Revolutions. They wanted a priest who spoke German. After 1857, St. Peter's became the only Catholic church in Keokuk. St. John the Evangelist was no longer used.
The first St. Peter's church building had its cornerstone laid on April 20, 1856. It was located on Exchange Street.
More Churches and the Diocese
St. Mary's Church was started in 1867 for German immigrants. They built a red brick church in 1911. St. Francis de Sales Church began in 1870 for people on the east side of town. All three churches became part of the Davenport Diocese when it was created in 1881. St. Francis parish built a stone church in 1899. It was designed by James J. Egan, who also designed other important churches in Iowa.
Building the Current Church
As St. Peter's grew, the church decided to move to a new location in 1872. They bought three lots at Ninth and Bank Streets. Plans for the new church were finished in 1878 by William John Dillenburg, an architect from Chicago. He had helped finish the famous Cologne Cathedral in Germany. He also designed the Church of St. John the Baptist in Burlington, Iowa. Both churches look similar and were built at the same time.
Construction on the new St. Peter's church began in 1879. Its cornerstone was laid on June 12, 1881. The main builders were Crowell and Worley from Keokuk. Robert Burns did the carpentry, and Adam Mullen from Chicago did the roof.
The pastor, Father Thomas O'Reilly, thought the church would cost less than it did. So, it had to be built in stages over several years. The total cost was $50,000. It was finally finished in 1885.
Later Additions and Consolidations
In 1886, Franciscan Sisters from Peoria, Illinois opened St. Joseph Hospital next to St. Mary's Church. This hospital later merged with another and became Keokuk Area Hospital in 1975.
In 1904, a beautiful solid marble altar was ordered for the church from Joseph Conradi of St. Louis. The church's foundations had to be made stronger to hold the heavy altar. A baptistery (a place for baptisms) was also added. The new altar was dedicated on October 8, 1905.
Because there were fewer priests and the population in Keokuk was shrinking, the diocese decided to combine the three parishes. This is how the Church of All Saints was formed in 1982. At this time, the Chapel of the Angels was added inside the church. This chapel used angel statues from St. Mary's and pews from St. Francis de Sales. It also included other items from the three churches. The Blessed Sacrament is kept in this chapel, and it is used for weekday Masses.
A Monument Garden is located near the chapel entrance. It holds the cornerstones from the first St. Peter's Church (1856), the second St. Mary's Church (1911), the second St. Francis de Sales Church (1898), and St. Mary's School (1907). These stones were changed to mark the new All Saints parish.
The Church's Design and Beauty
The Church of All Saints is a great example of the late Gothic Revival style in Iowa. This means it looks like older Gothic churches from Europe. The building is about 60 feet wide and 140 feet long. It follows a basilica plan, which is a common church layout.
Exterior Features
The outside walls are made of local clay brick. The decorative parts, like the tops of the walls and around the windows, are made of magnesium limestone. The church sits on a strong foundation of rough limestone.
The church looks very tall because of its central tower, which rises 180 feet high. The smaller corner towers are 75 feet tall. Below the roof, there are decorative brick patterns called stepped corbel tables. The central tower has an eight-sided top that ends in a cross. The bell chamber in the tower has pointed-arch openings.
The sides of the church have six sections, separated by strong supports called buttresses. Each section has a pair of tall, narrow windows, about 5 feet wide and 18 feet tall.
Stained Glass Windows
The church's beautiful stained glass windows were made in Munich, Germany. They were installed in 1884 by the A. Misch Company of Chicago and cost $3,300. The large window on the central tower is 30 feet tall. It has special shapes like quatrefoils (four-leaf shapes), Latin crosses, and yin-yang shapes, all set within round designs called rosettes.
Inside the Church
Inside, the church is divided into three main areas called naves. The ceilings are vaulted, meaning they are arched. They are supported by columns with fancy tops called capitals in the Corinthian order. At the back of the church, there is a double gallery, like a balcony.
At the front of the church, in the apse (the curved part), is a beautiful carved white marble altar. The statue in the center of the altar's back wall, called the reredos, is Saint Peter. He was the church's patron saint when it was built. Below him are statues of the Four Evangelists. The front of the altar used to have an image of the Lamb and a scroll from the Book of Revelation. The Stations of the Cross, which are pictures or carvings showing Jesus's last journey, line the side walls. They came from Munich and were put up in 1892.
Changes Over Time
Some changes have been made to the church over the years. In 1968, the original wooden front doors were replaced with glass doors. Some of the stained glass above the doors was also changed. In 1980, a concrete ramp and new steps replaced the old stone steps. In 1982, new rooms for Reconciliation (confession) and a restroom were added where the old confessionals used to be. The church was also redecorated in the mid-1990s.
Learning and Schools
Early Catholic Schools
The first Catholic school in Keokuk was started in 1852 by the Visitation Sisters. They first opened a free school. In 1853, they started a new convent and a special school for students who lived there and those who came for the day. St. Peter's Parish wanted its own school, but the Visitation Sisters' rules did not allow them to teach in parish schools.
A parish school for St. Peter's began by 1859. Father Louis DeCailly asked the School Sisters of Notre Dame to teach there. They taught from 1861 to 1864. They left because Father DeCailly wanted to start a high school for girls, and the Notre Dame Sisters felt it would compete with the Visitation Academy.
Changes in Teaching Staff
After the Notre Dame Sisters left, lay teachers (people who are not priests or nuns) taught at the parish school. The Visitation Sisters left in 1867 because of money problems from building a new school. The parish then took over the school. The Daughters of Charity came to teach there in the same year. In 1877, the common school and the special school were combined. The grade school was renamed St. Vincent's.
The Notre Dame Sisters later returned to Keokuk and taught at the parish school at St. Mary's Church.
High School and Consolidations
St. Peter's High School continued until a central Catholic high school called Cardinal Stritch was opened in 1965. The Daughters of Charity left Keokuk in 1996.
Due to fewer students and financial concerns, Cardinal Stritch High School joined with Holy Trinity High School in Fort Madison, Iowa in 2006. St. Vincent's Elementary School, which includes preschool through fifth grade, then moved into the former Cardinal Stritch building.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de Todos los Santos (Keokuk, Iowa) para niños
