Lakeport Church (Yankton County, South Dakota) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Old Catholic Church
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 Location in South Dakota
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| Location | Yankton County, South Dakota |
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| Built | 1884 |
| Architectural style | Gothic revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 80003776 |
| Added to NRHP | 1980 |
Saint John the Baptist Church, also called Lakeport Church, is an old stone church in the countryside of Yankton County, South Dakota. It was built in 1884. For many years, it was a church for Czech Catholic families. In 1980, it became a protected historic site on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
History of Lakeport Church
In 1859, two brothers, George and Parker V. Brown, moved to an area about 10 miles (15 km) from Yankton. They called this place "Lakeport." They built a log hotel there. This was when the area was known as the Dakota Territory.
Later, in 1868, a group of Czech people in Chicago started a club called the Czech Agricultural Society. Their goal was to help Czech families move and settle in new lands west of Iowa and Minnesota.
A year later, in 1869, the first group from this society arrived near Yankton. Most of the land there was already taken. So, they moved further west. Some of them settled near Lakeport. There, they built the first Czech Catholic church in the Dakota Territory. They named it the Church of St. John the Baptist.
Building the New Church
In 1882, work began on a new St. John the Baptist church. This new church was built closer to Lakeport. There wasn't much wood on the prairie. So, the church was built using chalkrock. This rock was dug up from the banks of the Missouri River nearby.
Building the church took two years. It was finally finished and opened in 1884.
After the Church Closed
After 1903, the church no longer had a full-time priest. The families who went to the church started going to other churches. These were in nearby towns like Tabor, Lesterville, or Yankton.
The church building was mostly left empty and started to fall apart. However, some local people tried to keep it in good shape. Many years later, money was given by the South Dakota Historical Society. This money helped to fix up the old church.
In 1984, a special church service called a Mass was held. This celebrated the church's 100th birthday. After that, a Mass was held there every year. In 1980, the church was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was listed under the name "Old Catholic Church."
Church Architecture
The church is made from large blocks of chalkrock. These blocks are about 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm) thick. It is a one-story building. It has a pointed roof, which is called a gable roof.
The sides of the church have tall, narrow windows. These are called lancet windows. There are also smaller windows on the front and back. Round windows can be seen in the pointed parts of the roof. Experts have described the church as a great example of the Gothic style. It shows how Czech people used this style in their own way.
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