St. Mary's Church (Adair, Missouri) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Mary's Church
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St. Mary's Church in April, 2007.
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 Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Location | On MO 11, Adair, Missouri |
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| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Built | 1904-1905 |
| Architect | John Barker |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001069 |
| Added to NRHP | December 16, 1974 |
St. Mary's Church is an old Catholic church in Adair, Missouri. It's about 12 miles northeast of Kirksville. This church was built around the early 1900s. It's special because it shows a style called Romanesque Revival architecture. What makes it even more unique is that it's one of the few wooden buildings left in the United States built in this style.
St. Mary's Church was built in 1904. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Today, a group called Friends of St. Mary's takes care of it. They are a non-profit organization working to preserve the church.
Contents
History of St. Mary's Church
Early Beginnings in Adair
The St. Mary's Church building you see today is actually the third church built in this small village. It was created to serve the needs of Catholic families who moved there. The first Irish Catholic families started arriving in eastern Adair County in the early 1840s. Many more came later, especially because of the Great Famine in Ireland.
The very first church services were held in a private home in Adair in 1844. A priest named Father McNamee traveled by horseback from Edina, Missouri, carrying his portable altar to lead these services. In 1860, the first Catholic church was built. It was a simple building made of rough logs. Father Ryan was the first priest assigned to this church.
This log church was replaced in 1869 with a basic wooden building. The village and the church community kept growing through the late 1800s. By 1900, people realized they needed a bigger and more solid church building.
Building a New Church Home
The current St. Mary's Church was built between 1904 and 1905. John V. Barwarth from Edina, Missouri, oversaw the construction. The project cost about $10,000. Because Adair was a bit far out, most building materials like lumber had to be brought in. They arrived by train at Baring, Missouri, which is several miles east in Knox County, Missouri. From there, wagons hauled the materials to Adair.
The new church was built on the same land as the old one. The older wooden church was moved a short distance away to be used as a school. On June 15, 1905, a special dedication ceremony was held for the new church. Archbishop John J. Glennon led the event. Many Catholics from across northeast Missouri attended, along with some non-Catholic neighbors.
Design and Features of the Church
When it was finished, the new church measured about 88 feet long and 52 feet wide. Its most striking features were its two towers. One tower, on the northwest corner, was the bell tower. It was originally 90 feet tall. However, a strong storm later damaged it badly. After repairs, it was rebuilt to its current height of 50 feet.
The other tower, on the southwest corner, is shaped like an octagon and is 40 feet tall. It has round arch openings and supports in the Corinthian style, topped with a dome. A special part of this octagonal tower is a statue called The Sorrowful Mother. People believe it is one of only three copies of this statue in the United States. The original statue is in Rome, Italy.
Inside the church, there is a large main area for worship, called a sanctuary. There are also two small rooms called vestries. The ceiling and many of the inner walls are covered with pressed tin in a Florentine style. The floor is made of yellow pine wood. A curved balcony overlooks part of the sanctuary, providing extra seating when needed. A few years after the church was built, beautiful lighting fixtures with Tiffany designs were added to the sanctuary.
Challenges and Preservation Efforts
St. Mary's Church and the surrounding community grew for the first 20 years of the 1900s. Adair had many businesses that served local farmers. The town had over 400 people, and a Catholic school was built. However, the years after World War I and during the Great Depression were tough for both the village and the church.
Many young people started leaving farms for jobs in cities. This led to fewer children, and the Catholic school closed in 1925. As cars became common and roads improved, families could easily travel to bigger towns like Baring, Edina, and Kirksville to shop. These towns also had their own Catholic churches, some with very large communities. This meant families could attend morning Mass and then shop before returning home.
By 1942, only 30 people were part of the St. Mary's church community. In 1958, St. Mary's became a "mission" of Mary Immaculate Church in Kirksville. This meant it was a smaller church supported by a larger one. In December 1972, with fewer than 20 adult members, most of whom were elderly, it was announced that all Masses at St. Mary's would stop for the winter. They never started again.
The church rectory (the priest's house) was sold in 1973. It seemed like the church might be destroyed. However, a small group of former church members and others interested in history did not want this unique church to be lost. They asked for the building to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. This request was approved on December 16, 1974.
The following May, a non-profit group called Friends of St. Mary's Church of Adair, Missouri, Incorporated was officially formed. Their goal was to preserve and restore the church. On July 12, 1976, the Diocese of Jefferson City (Missouri) gave the church building to this group. Since then, the group has focused on keeping the church in good condition. They also do some restoration work when they have enough money. They hold various fundraisers to support their efforts. Currently, no regular services are held there. The building is open to the public only by special arrangement.
