All Saints Catholic Church (Stuart, Iowa)
Encyclopedia
All Saints Catholic Church is a former parish church building in the Diocese of Des Moines
. The building is located in Stuart, Iowa
, United States
, at 320 N. Fremont. The parish used the building as its church until a devastating fire severely damaged the structure. The building has been rebuilt and it serves as a cultural center called the Historic All Saints/Saints Center for Culture and the Arts. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, and is a rare example of Neo-Byzantine architecture in the state of Iowa
.
.
The first church was built in 1874 under the direction of the Rev. Edward Gaul. It was dedicated by the Very Rev. J.F. Brazil from St. Ambrose
in Des Moines on the Feast of All Saints, November 1, 1877. The Rev. James Foley was pastor at the time and he built two additions onto the church as well as the rectory
during his 24 years at All Saints. During that time he was also responsible for parishes in Casey
, Adair
, Guthrie Center
and Greenfield
. The parish became a part of the Diocese of Davenport
when it was established in 1881.
in a combination of Byzantine Revival and Romanesque Revival styles. The building measures 70 feet (21.3 m) wide, 120 feet (36.6 m) long and 110 feet (33.5 m) high. It has a seating capacity of 600. The interior is under an 90 feet (27.4 m) high dome that contains 16 windows. The dome was covered in copper
. The church was decorated with Italian marble
, rare woods, hand painted frescos, gold gilding, and statuary. The windows were from the Franz Mayer & Co.
of Munich, Germany. The church was built for $65,000.
Bishop James Davis
of Davenport dedicated the church at a Pontifical High Mass
. Bishop James J. Keane
of Cheyenne
, Wyoming
preached the sermon. The following year the parish became part of the Diocese of Des Moines when it was established in 1911 on the same day that Bishop Keane was named Archbishop of Dubuque.
The parish, under the leadership of the Rev. Dan Clarke, and the diocese decided that to rebuild the church would be too expensive. Instead they decided to build a new facility on 95 acres (384,451.7 m²) of land purchased from the Bill and Marlene Wilson family for $475,000. The new church, designed by the Renaissance Design Group of Omaha
, has seating for 400 people and a parking lot for 175 cars. The cost for the new church was $2.5 million. Bishop Joseph Charron
, C.Pp.S.
laid the cornerstone for the new church on August 31, 1997.
In September 1997 the damaged historic church building and property were sold to a group named the Project Restore Foundation for $7,200. They had hoped to rehabilitate the building in three years for a community cultural center at an estimated cost of around $3.5 million. The architects for the restoration project were Kirk Blunck and Jeff Wagner of HLKB in Des Moines and construction was done by Koester in Grimes
. Plans called for the exterior of the old church to look similar to the way it looked before the fire, The interior would have a modern appearance with exposed stone and brick on the walls. The dome would be rebuilt with the original stone, which had been numbered and saved. The original copper on the dome melted so it was replaced with new copper sheeting.
Several grants helped with the restoration effort. In 2000 the State Historical Society of Iowa Board of Trustees approved a grant for $60,000 towards the project. In 2007 Project Restore received a $545,000 grant from Vision Iowa, a state program that provides money for major tourism attractions. That same year 63% of the citizens of Stuart voted to accept a $1.7 million bond referendum to rebuild the church. Another $232,000 (as of 2007) in private donations was also raised,
A small chapel on the west side of the church and the former sacristy was the first part of the project that was finished in 2002-2003. A group of Serbian Orthodox Christians started using the chapel for a monthly liturgy in 2005. The new dome was lifted into place in October 2008. Work on the interior continued after that and was completed in 2010.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines
The Diocese of Des Moines is the Roman Catholic diocese for the southwestern quarter of the state of Iowa.Dioecesis Desmoinensis is the Latin title of the diocese, and the Diocese of Des Moines is the corporate title of the diocese. The Cathedral parish for the Diocese is St. Ambrose's Cathedral....
. The building is located in Stuart, Iowa
Stuart, Iowa
Stuart is a city in Lincoln Township, Adair County, and in Stuart Township, Guthrie County, in the U.S. state of Iowa. That part of the city within Guthrie County is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, at 320 N. Fremont. The parish used the building as its church until a devastating fire severely damaged the structure. The building has been rebuilt and it serves as a cultural center called the Historic All Saints/Saints Center for Culture and the Arts. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, and is a rare example of Neo-Byzantine architecture in the state of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
.
Development
The Catholic Church in Stuart traces its beginnings to August 1871 when a Father Moniahan from Des Moines came to town for the first time to celebrate Mass. He would come at irregular intervals and Mass was celebrated in school rooms, Shield’s Hall, and in private homes. At this time the whole state of Iowa was part of the Diocese of DubuqueRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northeastern quarter of the state of Iowa in the United States. It includes all the Iowa counties north of Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Iowa, Johnson, Cedar, and Clinton counties. ...
.
The first church was built in 1874 under the direction of the Rev. Edward Gaul. It was dedicated by the Very Rev. J.F. Brazil from St. Ambrose
St. Ambrose Cathedral (Des Moines)
St. Ambrose Cathedral is the cathedral parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines, and is located at 607 High Street in Des Moines, Iowa in the center of the city. The facility is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as St...
in Des Moines on the Feast of All Saints, November 1, 1877. The Rev. James Foley was pastor at the time and he built two additions onto the church as well as the rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
during his 24 years at All Saints. During that time he was also responsible for parishes in Casey
Casey, Iowa
Casey is a city in Adair and Guthrie Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 478 at the 2000 census.The Guthrie County portion of Casey is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Adair
Adair, Iowa
Adair is a city in Adair and Guthrie Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 839 at the 2000 census.The Guthrie County portion of Adair is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Guthrie Center
Guthrie Center, Iowa
Guthrie Center is a city in Guthrie County, Iowa, United States, along the South Raccoon River. The population was 1,668 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Guthrie County....
and Greenfield
Greenfield, Iowa
Greenfield is a city in Greenfield Township, Adair County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,129 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Adair County. The current courthouse, which sits in the middle of the Greenfield Square, was built in 1891 and is listed on the National Register of...
. The parish became a part of the Diocese of Davenport
Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport is a diocese of the Catholic Church for the southeastern quarter of the state of Iowa. There are within the diocese...
when it was established in 1881.
Historic Church
On October 12, 1902 the Rev. M.S. McNamara became pastor. It was during his pastorate that plans for a new church were developed and executed. Maginnis and Walsh were responsible for designing the church. The cornerstone was laid in September 1908 and it was completed in 1910. It was built of blue Bedford limestoneIndiana Limestone
Indiana Limestone, also known as Bedford Limestone is a common regional term for Salem limestone, a geological formation primarily quarried in south central Indiana between Bloomington and Bedford....
in a combination of Byzantine Revival and Romanesque Revival styles. The building measures 70 feet (21.3 m) wide, 120 feet (36.6 m) long and 110 feet (33.5 m) high. It has a seating capacity of 600. The interior is under an 90 feet (27.4 m) high dome that contains 16 windows. The dome was covered in copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
. The church was decorated with Italian marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
, rare woods, hand painted frescos, gold gilding, and statuary. The windows were from the Franz Mayer & Co.
Franz Mayer & Co.
Franz Mayer & Co. is a famous German stained glass design and manufacturing company, based in Munich, Germany, that has been active throughout most of the world for over 150 years...
of Munich, Germany. The church was built for $65,000.
Bishop James Davis
James J. Davis (Catholic bishop)
James J. Davis was a 20th-century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the third bishop of the Diocese of Davenport in the state of Iowa from 1906 to 1926.-Early life and ministry:...
of Davenport dedicated the church at a Pontifical High Mass
Pontifical High Mass
In the context of the Tridentine Mass of the Roman Catholic Church, a Pontifical High Mass, also called Solemn Pontifical Mass, is a Solemn or High Mass celebrated by a bishop using certain prescribed ceremonies. The term is also used among Anglo-Catholic Anglicans.-Origins:In the early Church,...
. Bishop James J. Keane
James Keane (Archbishop)
- External links :...
of Cheyenne
Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne is a Roman Catholic diocese covering the state of Wyoming. It was founded on August 2, 1887 by Pope Leo XIII...
, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
preached the sermon. The following year the parish became part of the Diocese of Des Moines when it was established in 1911 on the same day that Bishop Keane was named Archbishop of Dubuque.
Destructive Fire and the Aftermath
On August 22, 1995 Charles Willard of Des Moines drove to Stuart and poured gasoline in various places in the church and set it on fire. Fire departments from 20 area communities in a 50 miles (80.5 km) radius of Stuart fought the fire. While the exterior walls remained standing the rest of the building lay in ruins. A small chapel in the back suffered minor damage. Willard had mailed letters to two bishops and a Des Moines television station before he set the fire taking responsibility based on his hatred of the Catholic Church. He even held a news conference before his arrest. He was convicted of arson and a hate crime.The parish, under the leadership of the Rev. Dan Clarke, and the diocese decided that to rebuild the church would be too expensive. Instead they decided to build a new facility on 95 acres (384,451.7 m²) of land purchased from the Bill and Marlene Wilson family for $475,000. The new church, designed by the Renaissance Design Group of Omaha
Omaha
Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...
, has seating for 400 people and a parking lot for 175 cars. The cost for the new church was $2.5 million. Bishop Joseph Charron
Joseph Charron
Joseph Leo Charron, C.PP.S. is Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Des Moines in the United States state of Iowa.Charron was born in Redfield, South Dakota on December 30, 1939. He is one of eight children....
, C.Pp.S.
Missionaries of the Precious Blood
The Missionaries of the Precious Blood form a community of priests and brothers within the Latin Church, one of the 23 sui iuris churches which make up the universal Catholic Church. The Society was founded by Saint Gaspar del Bufalo in 1815...
laid the cornerstone for the new church on August 31, 1997.
In September 1997 the damaged historic church building and property were sold to a group named the Project Restore Foundation for $7,200. They had hoped to rehabilitate the building in three years for a community cultural center at an estimated cost of around $3.5 million. The architects for the restoration project were Kirk Blunck and Jeff Wagner of HLKB in Des Moines and construction was done by Koester in Grimes
Grimes, Iowa
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,098 people, 1,887 households, and 1,437 families residing in the city. The population density was 569.4 people per square mile . There were 1,958 housing units at an average density of 218.7 per square mile...
. Plans called for the exterior of the old church to look similar to the way it looked before the fire, The interior would have a modern appearance with exposed stone and brick on the walls. The dome would be rebuilt with the original stone, which had been numbered and saved. The original copper on the dome melted so it was replaced with new copper sheeting.
Several grants helped with the restoration effort. In 2000 the State Historical Society of Iowa Board of Trustees approved a grant for $60,000 towards the project. In 2007 Project Restore received a $545,000 grant from Vision Iowa, a state program that provides money for major tourism attractions. That same year 63% of the citizens of Stuart voted to accept a $1.7 million bond referendum to rebuild the church. Another $232,000 (as of 2007) in private donations was also raised,
A small chapel on the west side of the church and the former sacristy was the first part of the project that was finished in 2002-2003. A group of Serbian Orthodox Christians started using the chapel for a monthly liturgy in 2005. The new dome was lifted into place in October 2008. Work on the interior continued after that and was completed in 2010.