Saints Peter and Paul Church (Petersburg, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Saints Peter and Paul Church
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | Jct. of C64 and X47 Petersburg, Iowa |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1906 |
| Architect | Martin Heer |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 94001589 |
| Added to NRHP | January 24, 1995 |
The Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church is a special church in Petersburg, Iowa. It is part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. This church is located in a small, unincorporated community in the United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 because of its important history and beautiful design.
Contents
History of Saints Peter and Paul Church
The first church building for Saints Peter and Paul was built in 1868. It was made from limestone. The church you see today was finished in 1906. It was built using cut-stone from Stone City, Iowa. The design is called Late Gothic Revival.
Who Designed and Built the Church?
A famous architect from Dubuque, Martin Heer, designed the church. Reverend William B. Sassen asked for the church to be built in 1903. M.J. Mersch laid the foundation. F.D. Schnak, a contractor from Dubuque, built the main structure.
Art and Features Inside the Church
The altars and confessionals inside the church were made by the Hackner Altar Company. Joseph Walters, from Dubuque, painted the beautiful frescos on the walls. The amazing stained glass windows were designed in Munster, Germany. The whole church cost $85,000 to build. A large pipe organ was added in 1939. It was built by the Tellers Organ Company.
Architecture and Design of the Church
The Saints Peter and Paul Church is the biggest building in Petersburg. It is shaped like a cross. The church is about 150 feet long and 54 feet wide. It is 74 feet wide at the transept, which is the part that sticks out on the sides.
Towers and Windows
The main front of the church has a tall central tower and a spire that reaches 145 feet high. On each side of the main front, there are two other towers that are 120 feet tall. The sides of the church have six sections, called bays. Each bay has a large, pointed window called a lancet window. Above these, there are three smaller lancet windows. On the transept, you can see Rose windows instead of the groups of three windows.
Back of the Church
At the back of the church, there is a rounded section called a polygonal apse. A rectangular sacristy is built around it.
Saints Peter and Paul School
For many years, Saints Peter and Paul School was the local parish school. It served the community until 1987.
Archbishop Hennessy Catholic School
In 1987, Archbishop Hennessy Catholic School was formed. It combined with other schools. It had two locations: younger students (Kindergarten to 3rd grade) went to school in New Vienna. Older students (preschool and 4th to 6th grade) went to school in Petersburg. This school was for both Saints Peter and Paul and Saint Boniface Church. At that time, over 100 students attended.
In 2013, all grades moved to the Petersburg location. The school had 60 students then. However, the number of students kept going down. By 2017, there were only 45 students. Archbishop Hennessy Catholic School closed in 2018.
Today, the main Catholic elementary school in the "Spires of Faith" church group is St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Dyersville.
Images for kids
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From the north
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Side view of the church
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Rear view of the church
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The rectory, a building for the church's priest
