St. Matthew's by the Bridge Episcopal Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Matthew’s by the Bridge Episcopal Church
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | Junction of Oak and Railroad Streets, Iowa Falls, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1913 |
| Architect | Robert Layton |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| MPS | Iowa Falls MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 93000961 |
| Added to NRHP | October 1, 1993 |
St. Matthew's by the Bridge Episcopal Church is a special church building in Iowa Falls, Iowa. It is a parish church, which means it's a local church for a community. This church is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, a larger group of Episcopal churches in Iowa.
The church community started in 1886. The church building itself was finished in 1913. Because of its history and unique design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. This list recognizes important historical places in the United States.
How the Church Was Designed
The church was designed by Robert Layton. He was an industrial arts teacher in Iowa Falls. In 1912, Mr. Layton visited his home country, England. While there, he sketched many old village churches. He used these sketches to create the plans for St. Matthew's.
Two of his students, Louis and Ernie Welden, even helped him make the blueprints. Blueprints are like detailed maps for building.
The Church's Location and Look
The church building is located right next to the Iowa River. Because it's so close to the river, some people jokingly call it "St. Matthew's on the Brink."
The building is made of wood and is shaped like a rectangle. It measures about 60 feet long and 24 feet wide. The outside walls are covered with a material called stucco. The ends of the roof, called gables, are decorated to look like a simple half-timbered style. This style is often seen in old English buildings.
In the 1960s, a small addition was built onto the back of the church. This new part has a shed roof and provides space for offices, classrooms, and storage.
Inside the Church
The inside of St. Matthew's Church looks mostly the same as when it was first built. The main altar is located along the east wall of the sanctuary, which is the holy area of the church.
The main walkway, or aisle, is slightly to the left of the center. The long benches, called pews, are lined up along the north wall. The inside structure of the roof has special wooden supports like King posts and Queen posts. These supports make the space feel tall and open.
A beautiful stained glass window is located above the altar. It shows the Ascension of Jesus and was added in 1965. Later, between 1980 and 1987, four more stained glass windows were added. These new windows show different Apostles.
The church is important because of its simple, yet beautiful, design in the Tudor Revival style.
