St. Joseph's Catholic Church (Davenport, Iowa) facts for kids
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St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
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St. Joseph Church in 2013
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | West Sixth and Marquette Streets Davenport, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1881 |
| Architect | Victor Hout |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| MPS | Davenport MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 83002510 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | July 7, 1983 |
St. Joseph Catholic Church was once a Catholic parish (a local church community) in Davenport, Iowa. Its main church building is located in the west part of the city. This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Both the church and the house where the priest lived (called a rectory) were listed on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties in 1999. After being used by other groups, the property now houses a Christian organization called One Eighty.
History
St. Joseph Parish Begins
St. Joseph Parish started in 1855. It was first named St. Kunigunda's. The church was created for German immigrants who settled in the western part of Davenport. A stone building was built for the church and opened in 1856. The services were held in Latin and German.
As the community grew, people decided to build a new, bigger church. The first stone for the new church was laid in 1881. Around this time, the parish changed its name to St. Joseph. This was likely because another church, St. Mary's Church, was built nearby. The new St. Joseph Church was officially opened on September 16, 1883. The old church building was then used as a school.
The St. Joseph School was run by the School Sisters of St. Francis from Milwaukee.
Changes Over Time
Starting in the 1960s, the neighborhood around St. Joseph Church began to change. Many of the original German families moved away. New people moved in who were often not Catholic. The church also made changes to its services because of new rules from the Second Vatican Council. Services were now held in English instead of Latin. The communion rail was removed, and a new altar was put in place. This new altar allowed the priest to face the people during the service.
By the 1970s, many Mexican American families moved into the area. The church started offering services in Spanish for them. However, this Spanish-speaking community later moved to St. Mary's Church in the late 1980s.
After the Parish Closed
The St. Joseph School continued until 1968. At that time, it joined with St. Mary's School and was renamed Holy Trinity. This combined school continued into the 1990s. Due to fewer students, the Catholic diocese decided to close the school in 1999.
However, a group of people bought the school that same year. They reopened it as Holy Trinity Mission School. A few years later, it was renamed Marquette Academy. The St. Joseph parish itself also closed in 1999 because fewer people were attending. The church building then became part of the Holy Trinity Mission School.
In 2008, a different Christian group bought the church and rectory. It became known as Legacy Church. Later, it became Grace Fellowship Church. In 2016, the entire St. Joseph property was bought by the One Eighty ministry. This group now uses the buildings as their main office. They help people in need through various programs.
Architecture
The St. Joseph Church was designed by Victor Huot, an architect from Davenport. He designed it in a style called High Victorian Gothic. This style often looks grand and detailed. Huot had also designed St. Mary's Church earlier.
The church building is made of brick and sits on a stone foundation. It has a tall main entrance at the front, below the pointed roof. One special feature is the fancy brickwork, especially near the roofline. The church looks very tall because of its design and its high, pointed-arch windows.
The windows on the front, along the sides, and in the back of the church are all tall, narrow, and paired. They are filled with beautiful stained glass. There is also a round rose window in the tower, which has a detailed pattern. The tower itself has a tall, thin spire that rises above the bell-chamber.
