St. Luke's United Methodist Church (Dubuque, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Luke's Methodist Episcopal Church
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1199 Main St. Dubuque, Iowa |
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| Architect | George Kramer |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| Part of | Upper Main Street Historic District (ID86002102) |
| NRHP reference No. | 98000387 |
| Added to NRHP | April 23, 1998 |
St. Luke's United Methodist Church is a very old and beautiful church in Dubuque, Iowa. You can find it at 1199 Main Street. It's known for its special building style called Richardsonian Romanesque. This style uses strong, heavy stone and round arches, making the building look grand and solid.
This church is so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. This is a list of places in the United States that are worth saving because of their history or special design. St. Luke's is also part of a larger historic area called the Upper Main Street Historic District.
One of the most amazing things about St. Luke's is its collection of Tiffany windows. It has more of these beautiful stained glass windows than any other church in Iowa! People say it's one of the best Tiffany collections in the world.
A Look at St. Luke's History
The story of St. Luke's Church goes all the way back to when Dubuque was first settled. The very first sermon preached in Iowa happened on November 6, 1833, by Barton Randle. Early church services were held in a simple log cabin.
Over the years, the church congregation grew. They built several different buildings as they needed more space. These buildings were located in different spots around Dubuque. The church you see today was built in 1896. The congregation started worshiping in this grand new building in 1897.
The Amazing Tiffany Windows
St. Luke's is famous for its collection of over 100 Tiffany Stained glass windows. These windows are not just pretty; they are true works of art. They fill the church with colorful light.
One special window, called "Angel among the Lilies," has a rumored story. People say the angel in the window looks like the young daughter of the family who paid for that window. Sadly, their daughter had passed away. Since 1990, the church has worked hard to fix and protect these precious windows.
The Grand Pipe Organ
The church also has a very old and impressive pipe organ. It's called the Farrand & Votey organ. When it was first bought, it was so big that it took two train cars to bring all its parts to Dubuque!
Since the train couldn't cross the river, the parts had to be moved onto barges. Then, they were floated across the river to the church. The organ has about 2,200 pipes, which are organized into 36 "ranks." When it was first installed, it was one of the largest organs in the area. In 1992, experts from the Fowler Organ Company in Lansing, Michigan carefully restored it.
See also
- St. Luke's Methodist Church (Monticello, Iowa), NRHP-listed, known also as St. Luke's United Methodist Church, in Jones County
