St. Anthony's Catholic Church (Davenport, Iowa) facts for kids
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St. Anthony's Roman Catholic
Church Complex |
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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St. Anthony's Church in 2018
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 407 and 417 Main St. Davenport, Iowa |
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| Area | 1.4 acres (0.57 ha) |
| Built | 1838, 1853 |
| Built by | Thomas Doyle Henry Belken |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Part of | Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District (ID100005546) |
| MPS | Davenport MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 84001538 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 5, 1984 |
St. Anthony's Catholic Church is a parish church in the city of Davenport, Iowa. It is part of the Diocese of Davenport. This church complex is located in downtown Davenport, at Fourth and Main Streets. It was the first church group started in Davenport. It was also the second Catholic group in the state of Iowa, after St. Raphael's in Dubuque.
The church buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. This listing included the main church and the old school building. The school building was actually the parish's first church. It is the oldest church building still standing in Iowa. The complex was also listed on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties in 1992. The area has been known as Church Square for a long time.
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How St. Anthony's Began
In 1832, a treaty was signed by Chief Keokuk of the Sauk tribe. This treaty opened up land on the west side of the Mississippi River for people to settle. Antoine LeClaire, who helped translate the treaty, received two pieces of this land.
In 1836, the first part of Davenport city was planned. The next year, more land was added to the town from one of LeClaire's parcels. He said that a Catholic church must be built on one of the squares.
Founding the Parish
That same year, a missionary named Rev. Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli arrived in Davenport. He started the parish. At that time, only 25 Catholics lived in a town of 100 people. St. Anthony's is the oldest church group in Davenport.
Father Mazzuchelli designed a simple two-story building. It would be used as both a church and a home for the priest. The church was named after two saints: St. Peter and St. Anthony of Padua. However, it has always been known as St. Anthony's. This is because Antoine LeClaire, who helped the church, was devoted to St. Anthony.
Building the First Church
Work on the new church began on April 27, 1838. Pioneer settlers Adam, John, and Joseph Noel built it for $2,000. The very first bricks made in Davenport were used for this church. Bishop Mathias Loras of Dubuque dedicated the building on May 23, 1839.
This building was very important for the small community. It served as a church, city hall, courthouse, school, and a place for public meetings. The church's bell called people to Mass and children to school. It also warned of fires and called city leaders to their meetings.
The land, called Church Square, was given to Bishop Loras in 1839. This was to support the Catholic Church in Davenport. Shops and businesses were built on the east side of the block. The money from these properties helped Davenport become a city with its own bishop in 1881.
The church had a small choir, including Antoine LeClaire. There was no organ. Music was played by a small group with a violin, clarinet, flute, and cello.
The first pastor of the parish was Rev. J.A.M. Pelamourgues. He arrived in Davenport in September 1839. He served the parish until 1868. Father Pelamourgues lived in a section of the church gallery. He also traveled to other Catholic communities nearby. He was also in charge of working with the Sauk and Fox tribes in southeastern Iowa.
St. Anthony's School
St. Anthony's School opened in 1839 with Father Pelamourgues as the teacher. Classes were first held in the main part of the church. A curtain separated the classroom from the altar area. In 1844, the church building was made longer to create more classroom space.
A famous student from St. Anthony's early years was John Forrest Dillon. He later became the Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court.
In 1844, Father Pelamourgues asked the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary to teach at the school. They also started a school for girls. The sisters only stayed for three years because of money problems. They returned in 1855 to teach at St. Anthony's.
Immaculate Conception Academy was founded as a girls' school in 1859. The Sisters who taught at St. Anthony's lived at this academy. The parish school at St. Anthony's continued until it closed in 1968. This was due to fewer students. The building is still used for the parish's religious education program.
Parish Growth
The parish continued to grow. By 1847, there were 450 members. This was a quarter of the town's population. In 1850, work began on the front part of the current church. Thomas Doyle and Henry Belken built the new church. It was finished in 1853. The building was made of local stone and measured 94 by 44 feet (29 by 13 meters). It was built in a simple Greek Revival style. The original church building was changed to have more classroom space. The rectory, where the priest lives, was built around 1877.
New churches started to form in Davenport. These new churches took some members from St. Anthony's. For example, St. Joseph's (originally St. Kunigunda) served the German community. St. Margaret's was built on a hill east of downtown. St. Margaret's became Davenport's first cathedral in 1881. St. Anthony's was not chosen because its downtown location was not considered suitable.
Even with new churches, St. Anthony's kept growing. Father Pelamourgues was followed by several priests. Then, Rev. D.J. Flannery became pastor in 1882 and stayed until 1916. During his time, wings with balconies were added to the church from 1885 to 1886. The altar area was also made 18 feet (5.5 meters) longer. A larger room for priests' vestments was also added. This addition was built of brick.
20th Century Changes
By the early 1900s, St. Anthony's was the only church downtown. The parish's area became fixed to the central city. Two new parishes were founded on top of the hill: Holy Family (1898) and St. Paul the Apostle (1909).
A small cave-like shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary was added on the north side of the church in the 1920s. It was rebuilt in 1998, and the current statue was placed there in 1999.
Major renovations happened in 1945 and 1948. A manufactured stone covering, called permastone, was put on the 1886 church addition, the school (original church), and the rectory. This made all the buildings look similar. The room for vestments was also made larger. An addition was also made to the rectory to create more living space for the priests.
In the 1960s, changes were made to follow new church rules from the Second Vatican Council. The communion rail was removed. A new altar was created so the priest could face the people. However, the old altars, paintings, and statues remained in the church.
In 1987, the parish celebrated its 150th birthday. To remember this, a sculpture was placed in front of the church on Main Street. It shows Father Mazzuchelli, a Sister of Charity, a child from the school, Col. George Davenport, and Antoine LeClaire. The statue group stands on a base that holds the church's original bell.
21st Century Updates
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In 2009, most of the rectory was torn down. This made space for a new parish center. The new building is called the Gathering Center. It is 7,200 square feet (670 square meters). It has classrooms with movable walls for religious education. It also has church offices, a kitchen, and a renovated "McAnthony’s Window." This is a program that helps people in need. A social hall that can hold up to 300 people is also part of the new building. The new building and its outdoor areas are designed to fit in with the historic Church Square property. The original church building was also updated.
In 2017, a new pipe organ was built and installed in the church. It is the fourth organ the parish has had since the church was built. The previous organ was from the 1940s.
Helping the Community
St. Anthony's parish has been involved in helping the Davenport community for a very long time. The Davenport Temperance Society, which worked against alcohol, held meetings at St. Anthony's in 1842. The church was also a place for public talks.
After World War II, issues of fairness in society became important. Professors from St. Ambrose College started a chapter of the NAACP on their campus. This was a group that worked for civil rights. They also started a group called the Catholic Interracial Council.
This led to St. Anthony's being the starting point for the "March on Davenport." In August 1963, about 2,000 people marched from the church to LeClaire Park. They marched to support the Iowa Fair Housing Act, which aimed to prevent unfair housing practices.
In 1985, the parish started its "Care and Share" program. Ten percent of the money collected each week was set aside to help people in need. Later, the "McAnthony's Window" program began. It serves lunch to homeless and poor people. Another program collects food for baskets given to the elderly and poor during holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.
Church Architecture
St. Anthony's Church is shaped like a Latin Cross. The front part of the church is the oldest section. It is made of rough, cut limestone. This shows that skilled stonemasons were not easy to find in early Davenport. The building has a pointed roof front and decorative trim. Crosses are at the tops of the three pointed roof ends. The back of the church has a sloped roof.
Inside, there is a larger central aisle called a nave. It has smaller aisles on the sides. The rounded area near the altar is called the apse. The back addition to the church is covered in permastone.
Round arches are used throughout the church. You can see them in the stained glass windows, the ceiling, and behind the altar. The main entrance also has a round arch with a fan-shaped design above it. The stained glass windows are original to each part of the building when it was built.
The ceiling above the center aisle has paintings. From the front, they show Jesus raising Lazarus, Mary going to Heaven, and Jesus healing the sick. In the middle, above the altar, are symbols for the Four Evangelists. Statues behind the altar include the Sacred Heart in the center. It is flanked by Saint Patrick and Saint John the Evangelist. There is also a carving of the Last Supper on the old altar front. Many other statues are found throughout the church. The church is set back from the street in a park-like area with old trees.
Original Church Building
The former school building, which was the original church, is a two-story building with a pointed roof. It has an entrance that sticks out. It was first a wooden building with a brick veneer outside. Now, it is covered with permastone. It was first rectangular, but additions have made it cross-shaped. A round arch in the entrance's pointed roof is its main decoration. There is also a cross above the entrance.
