First Presbyterian Church (Davenport, Iowa)
Encyclopedia
First Presbyterian Church is located at 316 E. Kirkwood Boulevard, Davenport
, Iowa
, United States
. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
, Rev. M. Hummer of Stephenson (present day Rock Island
), Illinois
, and the Rev. Enoch Mead of Rockingham, Iowa, which is now the southwest section of Davenport. They were also the supply clergy who visited the congregation occasionally. In 1842 J.M.D. Burrows and T.S. Hoge were chosen and ordained elders of the church.
Rev. Samuel Cleland had charge of the Davenport and Stephenson congregations for four years starting in 1843. At this time they built their first church in Davenport even though the congregation was still very small. In 1846 the congregation only numbered 17. From 1847-49 the congregation was irregularly served by a pastor. Stability for the congregation came in November, 1849 when the Rev. J.D. Mason became the pastor. At this time the church consisted of about 30 members. By 1857 the congregation had grown to 200.
The congregation built another church building in 1853 on Third Street between Harrison and Main Streets. In 1864 they sold that property and purchased the former St. Luke's Episcopal Church
on Brady Street. This building served the congregation for over thirty years when the decision was made to build a new church closer to the center of the parish. The ground was broken for the new church at the corner of Kirkwood Boulevard and Iowa Street on March 18, 1898. The church's cornerstone was laid the same year on July 20, and the new church was dedicated on December 17, 1899. The old church became the Academy of Sciences, a forerunner of the Putnam Museum
with a tower in the Richardsonian style. There are carved oak leaves and foliage on the gable
s in the Renaissance
style. The interior is octagonal in shape and the ceiling is marked with a Maltese cross and a Greek cross.
The congregation continued to grow. By 1935 it numbered 1,300 people and was one of the largest congregations in the city.
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. 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...
.
Development
When the city of Davenport was formed in 1836 there were between 10-12 people who were Presbyterian. In the first couple of years they worshiped with other Protestant congregations. In April 1838 they formed their own congregation. They gathered in a small building owned by T.S. Hoge on Ripley Street between Front (present day River Drive) and Second Streets. They managed the best they could with supply ministers who visited from time to time. The group formed themselves into a church on May 5, 1839 in a small frame school house on the corner of Fourth and Harrison Streets. The clergy in attendance at the service that day included Rev. Ithamar Pillsbury of Macomb, IllinoisMacomb, Illinois
Macomb is a city in and the county seat of McDonough County, Illinois, United States. It is situated in western Illinois southwest of Galesburg. The population was 18,588 at the 2000 census. Macomb is the home of Western Illinois University.- Geography :...
, Rev. M. Hummer of Stephenson (present day Rock Island
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
), Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and the Rev. Enoch Mead of Rockingham, Iowa, which is now the southwest section of Davenport. They were also the supply clergy who visited the congregation occasionally. In 1842 J.M.D. Burrows and T.S. Hoge were chosen and ordained elders of the church.
Rev. Samuel Cleland had charge of the Davenport and Stephenson congregations for four years starting in 1843. At this time they built their first church in Davenport even though the congregation was still very small. In 1846 the congregation only numbered 17. From 1847-49 the congregation was irregularly served by a pastor. Stability for the congregation came in November, 1849 when the Rev. J.D. Mason became the pastor. At this time the church consisted of about 30 members. By 1857 the congregation had grown to 200.
The congregation built another church building in 1853 on Third Street between Harrison and Main Streets. In 1864 they sold that property and purchased the former St. Luke's Episcopal Church
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (Davenport, Iowa)
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral is the historic cathedral in the Diocese of Iowa. The cathedral is located on the bluff overlooking Downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974...
on Brady Street. This building served the congregation for over thirty years when the decision was made to build a new church closer to the center of the parish. The ground was broken for the new church at the corner of Kirkwood Boulevard and Iowa Street on March 18, 1898. The church's cornerstone was laid the same year on July 20, and the new church was dedicated on December 17, 1899. The old church became the Academy of Sciences, a forerunner of the Putnam Museum
Putnam Museum and IMAX Theater
The Putnam Museum and IMAX Theatre is a museum of history and natural science in Davenport, Iowa, United States. The museum was founded in 1867, and was one of the first museums west of the Mississippi River. It houses 160,000 historical artifacts and specimens...
Present Church
The new church was designed by Clausen & Burrows. They are the same team that will design St. John's United Methodist Church in Davenport three years later. The building is constructed of Marquette brown stone and has a magnesian stain. The architectural style is RomanesqueRomanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
with a tower in the Richardsonian style. There are carved oak leaves and foliage on the gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
s in the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
style. The interior is octagonal in shape and the ceiling is marked with a Maltese cross and a Greek cross.
The congregation continued to grow. By 1935 it numbered 1,300 people and was one of the largest congregations in the city.