St. Paul United Methodist Church (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Paul'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 | 1340 3rd Ave. SE Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1914 |
| Architect | Louis Sullivan |
| Part of | Second and Third Avenue Historic District (ID00000926) |
| NRHP reference No. | 85001376 |
| Added to NRHP | June 27, 1985 |
St. Paul's United Methodist Church is a historic church building in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was designed by the famous architect Louis Sullivan. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It is also part of the Second and Third Avenue Historic District, which was recognized in 2000.
Contents
The Church's Early Days
The story of St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church began way back in 1840. Its very first minister was Reverend J. Hodges. He was a "circuit rider," which meant he traveled to different places to preach. In the autumn of 1840, he held the first public Christian service in Cedar Rapids. This happened in a simple log cabin owned by Mrs. John Listebarger.
Building the First Churches
The church bought land in 1853 to build its first church. This land is now where the Third Avenue Parking Ramp is located. A one-story brick church started being built that same year. But during construction, a strong wind blew the building down before the roof was even finished! It was finally dedicated in 1856.
As more people joined the church, a bigger building was needed. So, in 1870, a new church started being built. This new building was on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Fifth Street SE. Building was slow because of money problems in 1870. The lower floor was finished in 1873, and the main meeting hall was done five years later. A famous speaker named Henry Ward Beecher even preached there! A new house for the minister, called a parsonage, was also built. Later, this church and parsonage were taken down to make way for another building.
Designing the Current Church
In 1909, the church bought land for the building you see today. This land was on the edge of town back then. They hired the famous architect Louis Sullivan to design the new church. Sullivan lived in Cedar Rapids for a few years while working on the plans.
He wanted to design a "Modern church for a seven-day program." This meant it would have space for Sunday School, a gym, and a beautiful main hall with a colorful glass dome. However, his design was too expensive, costing twice what the church could afford. Sullivan made only small changes to lower the cost, but he didn't want to remove the fancy decorations. Because of this, he decided to stop working on the project.
Another architect, W.C. Jones, was then hired. His job was to change Sullivan's plans to fit the $100,000 budget. Jones made some small changes, but the building still looks mostly like Sullivan's original idea. Jones mainly removed many of the decorative parts, like four large angels that were supposed to be on the church tower. He also changed some things inside the main hall.
The Church Today
The new church was officially opened on May 31, 1914. It has a strong bell tower that is about 22 square feet (2 square meters) at its base and 108 feet (33 meters) tall.
Over the years, the church has been updated several times. In 1946, it got new carpet, a new organ, and a remodeled chapel. The gym was also turned into classrooms. In 1954, the main hall was updated. A new education wing was added in 1963. In 1976, a special area was built for handbell choirs. The next year, a new pipe organ was installed. It has four sections, 43 rows of pipes, and 2,358 pipes!
The church building was officially recognized as a historic place on June 27, 1985.
