St. Peters United Evangelical Lutheran Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Peters United Evangelical Lutheran Church
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | U.S. Route 52 Ceres, Iowa |
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| Built | 1858 |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000743 |
| Added to NRHP | December 12, 1976 |
St. Peters United Evangelical Lutheran Church is an old Lutheran Church building. It is located in the countryside of Clayton County, Iowa, in the United States. This church was once part of a small village called Ceres. It is also known by a cool nickname: the Pioneer Rock Church. In 1976, the church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical site in the country.
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History of the Pioneer Rock Church
The village of Ceres was first called Independence. Lutherans living nearby used to travel to Garnavillo, Iowa for church services. Their pastor there was Rev. Paul Stockfeld. Rev. Stockfeld was also a teacher and a doctor. He helped to start a new church in Independence.
Starting the Church
The new church was organized in February 1858. Some of the first members included G.H. Bierbaum, Chris Bierbaum, Casper Backhaus, Henry Backhaus, Carl Backhaus, H. Wiegman, J.H. Abker, and Gerhard Walke. J.H. Abker was chosen as the president. Rev. Stockfeld became the secretary.
Building the Church
Land for the church was bought from Eli Carlan. It cost $30 for each acre. Gerhard Bierbaum also gave another acre of land. This made a total of 6.16 acres for the church.
The church members got the stone for the building from the Bierbaum quarry. The first stone, called the cornerstone, was placed on October 25, 1858. The church building is about 55 feet long and 30 feet wide. A 12-foot section at the back was for the pastor's living area. The whole building cost less than $1,100 to build.
A well was also dug for the church. It was 35 feet deep and 5 feet wide. Sebastian Walsh dug the well. He was paid $1.00 for each foot until he hit rock. After that, he was paid $1.15 for each foot.
Inside the Church
Mr. Prior from Guttenberg, Iowa designed the altar. It cost $68. Casper, Henry, and Carl Backhaus built the church pews. They were paid $2.50 for each pew. The altar and pews were painted white. Their edges were painted to look like walnut wood.
Later Additions
In 1898, during the time of Rev. Ziemer, a bell tower was added to the church. This cost $300. A bell was put in the tower the same year for $111.
The church bought an organ in 1874 for $102. Another organ was bought in 1890. Mrs. G. Blech played the organ for the church services.
Pastors and Legacy
Rev. Gamelin became the pastor for both the Pioneer Rock Church and the church in Garnavillo in 1894. At that time, services were held at the Pioneer Rock Church every two weeks.
The last pastor who lived at the church was Rev. John Bunge. He served from 1901 to 1907. The last two pastors, Rev. Mall and Rev. Bosholm, lived in Garnavillo.
In 1927, a special group was formed. This group helps take care of the church and its cemetery. They wanted to remember the people who built the church.
Images for kids
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St. Peters United Evangelical Lutheran Church
