Regina Coeli Monastery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Regina Coeli Monastery
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1401 Central Avenue Bettendorf, Iowa |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1916 |
| Architect | Arthur Ebeling |
| Architectural style | Mission/Spanish Revival Late Gothic Revival Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 93001590 |
| Added to NRHP | January 28, 1994 |
The Regina Coeli Monastery is a special old building in Bettendorf, Iowa, United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994, which means it's an important historical site. Today, the building is used as a place that helps people get better.
This monastery was first built by a group of Discalced Carmelite nuns. They are Catholic sisters who live a quiet life of prayer. The nuns moved to a new monastery in Eldridge, Iowa in 1975. The original monastery was started in Davenport, Iowa by Bishop James Davis of the Catholic Diocese of Davenport.
Contents
History of the Monastery
Starting in Davenport
The first Carmelite nuns came to Davenport on November 23, 1911. They traveled from a monastery in Baltimore. The group included Mother Clare of the Blessed Sacrament and Mother Aloysius of Our Lady of Good Counsel. Two other sisters, Sister Gabriel and Sister Gertrude, were also with them.
Mother Clare's brother, Joseph Nagle, helped bring the Carmelites to Davenport. He worked hard to convince Bishop Davis to welcome the nuns into his diocese.
The Carmel monastery officially began on November 24, 1911. This was a special day for the nuns. They started their new home in a small cottage at 15th and Brady Streets. Bishop Davis lived next door and often held Mass for the nuns.
The cottage was a bit small for the growing community. So, an addition was built on land given by Bishop Davis. This new part included a chapel, a choir area for the nuns, and six bedrooms. The chapel was built in the Late Gothic Revival style.
The first Mass in the new chapel was on Christmas Eve in 1912. The chapel was officially dedicated on February 11, 1913. It was named Pater Noster Chapel. The monastery itself was named after the prophet Elijah.
Moving to Bettendorf
After the addition was finished, the nuns planned to make the monastery even bigger. They wanted enough rooms for 21 nuns, as their rules required. However, the land in Davenport was not big enough for this expansion.
Mother Clare thought that Bettendorf might be a good place for a new monastery. In 1915, Bishop Davis bought land on the bluffs above Bettendorf. This new location was surrounded by woods and farmland. It was a much better spot for the nuns' quiet, prayerful life.
Arthur Ebeling, who designed the chapel addition in Davenport, became the architect for the new Carmel. He had also designed homes for the families who helped fund the monastery. These included the Walsh, Kahl, and Bettendorf families.
The new monastery was a huge project for Ebeling. The remote site did not have paved roads or electricity at first. The town provided water, and a telephone was installed later. A professional landscaper designed the beautiful gardens.
The nuns moved into their new home on June 29, 1916. The monastery was not fully finished yet, and the chapel was still to be built. The monastery's name was changed to Regina Coeli, which means "Queen of Heaven."
On November 24, 1916, Bishop Davis blessed the monastery bells. The large bell was named Vox Domini (the voice of the Lord). The smaller bell was named St. Joseph.
The chapel from the old Davenport Carmel was carefully taken apart and rebuilt at the new Bettendorf location. It was rededicated in 1919 and kept its original name, Pater Noster. The room that used to be the chapel in Davenport became the library and chapter room. The rest of the monastery was completed in 1921. A special wall around the property, called an enclosure wall, was finished in 1937.
Life in a Carmel monastery is usually very peaceful. However, there were some challenging times. At one point, a group caused trouble near the monastery. They lit fires and made noise in a nearby field. But instead of scaring the nuns away, the local townspeople came to protect them. The police helped restore peace to the area.
Carmel monasteries usually have a limit of 21 nuns. When a community grew too large, they would start a new monastery in a different city. The Bettendorf Carmel helped start three new monasteries:
- In 1922, a Carmel was established in New Albany, Indiana. It later moved to Indianapolis.
- In 1940, another Carmel was started in Milwaukee. This one later moved to Pewaukee, Wisconsin.
- In 1961, the Sioux City, Iowa Carmel was established.
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In the 1960s, things began to change. The number of nuns in the Bettendorf community became smaller. The remaining nuns found it hard to care for the large monastery. They decided they needed a smaller place.
So, they bought 10 acres of farmland near Eldridge. The bodies of the nuns who had passed away were moved from the crypt to Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Davenport.
The Bettendorf Carmel was sold to a Christian church. In 1978, the Franciscan Brothers of Christ the King bought the building. They renamed it St. Francis Monastery and used it for retreats and events. Later, the brothers sold the building again. In 1993, it was remodeled and became a hotel called The Abbey Hotel. In 2009, the hotel closed and became a center that helps people improve their well-being.
The Eldridge Carmel
The new Carmel in Eldridge was ready for the nuns to move in on November 24, 1975. This was 64 years after the Carmel was first started in the Davenport Diocese. The large bell from the old monastery was moved to a new bell tower at the Eldridge property.
The new facility allowed for more space, and it was expanded twice. In the 1980s, a new chapel named Holy Trinity was added, along with more living and work areas. In the 1990s, another addition provided even more living space for the community.
However, the number of nuns in the community continued to decrease. By 2015, the nuns knew they needed to make another change. They started looking for a new home in 2019. They decided they no longer wanted to own property.
Through their connection with the Sisters of St. Francis of Clinton, the two groups found a way to share. The Carmelites moved to the Franciscan motherhouse, called the Canticle. On September 28, 2020, the Carmelites moved to Clinton, Iowa. Their property near Eldridge was then put up for sale.
Architecture of the Building
Arthur Ebeling designed the Regina Coeli Monastery by blending different architectural styles. He was inspired by the Carmel monastery in Baltimore.
The two-story archway on the south side of the building looks like the columns found in Italian Romanesque buildings. The small dome on top is also influenced by Romanesque and even Muslim designs. Ebeling used the Mission style in the stepped roofline. As mentioned earlier, the chapel is in the Gothic Revival style.
The building is important because Ebeling was able to mix these different Mediterranean architectural styles with modern American building features.
The monastery is shaped like a double cross. It is built with gold-colored brick and trimmed with Bedford limestone. A small dome with a cross sits in the middle of the monastery's central wing. Ebeling used the size of the chapel to plan the rest of the building. This made the chapel fit perfectly into the larger structure.
Also, the rose window above the altar is matched by a round clock face on the east side of the monastery. A 10-foot (3 meter) tall cloister wall forms the southern edge of the property. On this wall are the Stations of the Cross, which are images showing events from the life of Jesus. The garden inside the wall once had statues and a fountain.
Each new owner of the building made changes inside to fit their needs. For example, when it was a church, some grill work in the chapel was removed. When the Franciscans owned it, they changed some walls and added modern things like carpet and a swimming pool. Some of these changes were reversed when the building became a hotel in 1992, but many were not. During the hotel renovation, some of the nuns' small rooms were combined to create larger hotel rooms.
