St. Michael's Catholic Church (Holbrook, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Michael’s Church, Cemetery, Rectory, and Ancient Order of Hibernians Hall
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | On County Road F 52, East of Parnell, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1867 (church) 1885 (rectory) 1899 (hall) |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 83000371 |
| Added to NRHP | January 20, 1983 |
St. Michael's Catholic Church is a historic building in Holbrook, Iowa. It was once a busy church for the local community. Today, it is known as St. Michael's Church, Cemetery, Rectory, and Ancient Order of Hibernians Hall. This important site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Contents
Holbrook: A Historic Irish Settlement
The buildings of St. Michael's Church are a reminder of the Irish-Catholic people who settled in Holbrook. This area in Iowa County, Iowa became home to many Irish immigrants. Early settlers, like Thomas Hanson, were very dedicated. He would bring a priest from Iowa City in his wagon. Church services were held in his home, and people from all around would gather there.
The old rectory, where the priest lived, is across the highway from the church. The former Hibernian Hall is located across the cemetery to the west. The cemetery itself surrounds the church on three sides. These buildings, along with a few houses, are almost all that remains of the original village. Holbrook once had its own post office and a store.
St. Michael's Parish: A Community's Heart
The St. Michael's church community started in 1843. Soon after, plans began to build a church. A small wooden church was first built in what is now St. Michael's Cemetery. This was close to where the current church stands.
In 1853, Father Mathias Hannon visited Holbrook. He described the first church as very simple. He said Mass there even before the floor was finished. He mentioned the snow on the ground and a simple pine box for an altar. At that time, only about 14 families were part of the church.
Building the Current Church
Bishop Mathias Loras of the Diocese of Dubuque assigned Father Peter J. Sullivan as the first full-time pastor. He led the building of the current church in 1867. The church was designed in the Romanesque Revival style. This style often features round arches and strong, solid walls.
The church is made of brick and measures about 90 feet long by 50 feet wide. It cost around $2,000 to build, which was a lot of money back then. The pastor himself donated paintings for the Stations of the Cross. These paintings cost $1,000, but they are no longer in the church, and their location is unknown.
Changes Over the Years
When the Diocese of Davenport was created in 1881, St. Michael's became part of it. Over the years, the church buildings were updated. The bell in the church tower was made in St. Louis in 1882. It is still there today.
A new dome was added to the bell tower between 1889 and 1909. Later, from 1909 to 1917, a new sanctuary and altars were added to the church. The current bell tower, which was the third one built on this site, was also added during this time. An addition was built onto the rectory between 1917 and 1922. From 1922 to 1927, the outside of the church was covered in stucco.
Important Pastors and Community Leaders
In 1885, Bishop Henry Cosgrove assigned Father James Davis as pastor. Father Davis was an Irish immigrant. He came to the Dubuque Diocese after becoming a priest in 1878. At that time, St. Joseph's in Parnell was a smaller church connected to St. Michael's. Father Davis helped build both the school and church in Parnell. He also built the front part of the rectory in Holbrook.
Four years later, Father Davis moved to St. Margaret's Cathedral in Davenport. He became the leader there and helped build the new Sacred Heart Cathedral. The people of Holbrook were sad to see him go. Father Davis later became a bishop in 1904 and then the Bishop of Davenport in 1906.
The Church's Closing
As the 20th century continued, fewer people lived in rural areas of Iowa, including Holbrook. By the end of the century, St. Michael's shared a priest with other churches nearby. Finally, on March 28, 1996, Bishop William Franklin announced that St. Michael's would close by the end of June.
In just over 100 years, St. Michael's went from being a very large and important church to closing its doors. The church buildings were later sold to a group called the Friends of St. Michael's. This group is now responsible for taking care of these historic buildings.
Ancient Order of Hibernians Hall
The Hibernian Hall was built in 1899 by the local chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. This group was for Irish Catholic men. In 1948, the hall was given to the church and renamed St. Michael's Parish Hall.
It is a 1½-story building located west of the church. The building is covered in clapboard, which are overlapping wooden boards. It has a gabled roof, which means the roof has two sloping sides that meet at a ridge. The windows are round-arched, similar to those on the church. They have decorative frames called drip molds above them. There is also a rectangular window above the entrance that looks a bit out of place. It appears in old photos, but it might not have been part of the original design.
