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 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 known there as St. Peter Church, which was the name of the church group that first built it.
The Church of All Saints was created in 1982. This happened when three older churches, St. Peter's (started 1856), St. Mary's (started 1867), and St. Francis de Sales (started 1870), joined together. All three churches shared their furniture and items to help the new All Saints church. The building used for the new parish was the former St. Peter's church. The St. Francis de Sales church building was later taken down.
Contents
History of the Church in Keokuk
The area where Keokuk is today was once part of the Half-Breed Tract. This land was set aside in 1825 for people who were part Sac or Fox tribe and part European. Many of these families had French fathers who were trappers. Their children could live on this land but could not sell it until 1837.
Early Priests and Missions
The first priest known to visit this area was Father Charles Felix Van Quickenborne in 1832 and 1833. He thought a church should 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 started visiting Keokuk. Father John George Alleman also visited regularly from Fort Madison, Iowa but could not raise enough money to build a church. He continued his visits until 1848.
Founding of St. John the Evangelist
The first Catholic church in Keokuk was St. John the Evangelist, founded in 1844. Father Lucien Galtier was its first pastor. The church was a log building located on Second and Blondeau Streets. It was built by Hugh V. Gildea with Father Galtier's help. The church was small, about 20 by 30 feet, and cost $598.37. It was 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 parish again.
St. Peter's Church and Other Parishes
In 1848, Father Jean Villars became the pastor and stayed for nine years. In 1855, Father William Emonds bought new land where St. Peter's Church was founded. 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 main Catholic church in Keokuk. The St. John the Evangelist church was no longer used. The first St. Peter's church building started construction on April 20, 1856.
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.
Building the Current Church of All Saints
As St. Peter's grew, the church decided to move 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 Cologne Cathedral in Germany. He also designed the Church of St. John the Baptist in Burlington, Iowa. Both churches look similar and were built around the same time.
Construction on the new St. Peter's church began in 1879. Its cornerstone was placed on June 12, 1881. Local companies helped build it. The pastor, Father Thomas O'Reilly, did not expect the church to cost so much. Because of this, it had to be built in stages. The total cost was $50,000, and it was finished in 1885.
In 1886, Franciscan Sisters opened St. Joseph Hospital next to St. Mary's Church. This hospital later joined with another to become Keokuk Area Hospital in 1975.
Later Additions and Consolidations
In 1904, a solid marble altar was ordered for the church from Joseph Conradi of St. Louis. The church's foundation had to be made stronger to hold the heavy altar. A baptistery 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. The Church of All Saints was created 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 used 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 has 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 represent the new All Saints parish.
Architecture and Design
The Church of All Saints is a great example of the late Gothic Revival style in Iowa. The building is about 60 feet wide and 140 feet long. It is built like a basilica, which is a long hall with rows of columns. The outside is made of local clay brick and magnesium limestone. The church sits on a foundation of rough limestone.
Towers and Windows
The church looks very tall because of its central tower, which rises 180 feet high. The corner towers are 75 feet tall. The roof is steeply angled. The central tower has an eight-sided top that ends in a cross. In the bell area of the tower, there are pointed-arch openings.
The sides of the church have six sections, separated by strong supports called buttresses. Each section has two tall, narrow windows, about 5 by 18 feet. The beautiful stained-glass windows were made in Munich, Germany, and put in place in 1884. They cost $3,300. The large window on the central tower is 30 feet tall. It has special shapes like quatrefoils (four-leaf shapes) and Latin crosses.
Inside the Church
Inside, the church has three main areas called naves. The ceilings are arched and supported by columns with fancy tops in the Corinthian order. There is a double balcony at the back of the church. At the front, there is a carved white marble altar. The statue in the altar's tall back part is of Saint Peter, who was the church's patron saint when it was built. Below, there are statues of the Four Evangelists. The front of the altar shows a lamb and a scroll from the Book of Revelation. The Stations of the Cross on the side walls also came from Munich and were put up in 1892.
Over the years, some changes have been made. In 1968, the original wooden front doors were replaced with glass doors. In 1980, a concrete ramp and new steps replaced the old stone steps. In 1982, new rooms for confession and restrooms were added. The church was redecorated in the mid-1990s.
Catholic Schools in Keokuk
Early School Efforts
The first Catholic school in Keokuk was started by the Visitation Sisters in 1852. 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 were not allowed to teach in parish schools.
A parish school was started by 1859. Father Louis DeCailly asked the School Sisters of Notre Dame to teach there. They taught from 1861 to 1864. They left when Father DeCailly wanted to start a high school for girls, which they felt would compete with the Visitation Academy.
Changes and Consolidations
After the Notre Dame Sisters left, lay teachers (teachers who were not nuns or priests) took over. 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 that same year. In 1877, the regular school and the special school joined together. The grade school was renamed St. Vincent's.
The Notre Dame Sisters later returned to Keokuk and taught at St. Mary's Church's school. St. Peter's High School continued until a central Catholic high school, Cardinal Stritch, opened in 1965. The Daughters of Charity left Keokuk in 1996. Because of fewer students and money worries, Cardinal Stritch High School joined with Holy Trinity High School in Fort Madison, Iowa in 2006. St. Vincent's Elementary School, which teaches children from preschool to fifth grade, moved into the former Cardinal Stritch building.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de Todos los Santos (Keokuk, Iowa) para niños
