Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church (Solon, Iowa)
Encyclopedia
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church is a former parish of the Diocese of Davenport
. The church is located in rural Solon, Iowa
, United States
, at 1165 NE Taft Avenue. The property is east of Iowa Highway 1 between Solon and Mount Vernon
in Johnson County
. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
immigrants who settled near Solon, Iowa. The first church building used by the parish was built of stone and located across the road from the present building. The stone was quarried locally and the building was built by hand for $1,300. In time the building started to deteriorate and it was closed in 1916 and torn down in 1938.
Ground was broken for the present building on April 18, 1916. It was dedicated on July 15, 1917. The Rev. Florian Svrdlik from St. Wenceslaus Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
preached the sermon at the ceremony. The bid for constructing the building was $13,800. The present church building is a steel frame structure covered with red brick and tile. Two offset spires front the building. The interior is decorated with a marble altar from Italy with a depiction of the Last Supper
carved into the front. The altar also contains a statue of the Infant of Prague. In the church’s vestibule is a 19th century painting portraying St. Peter and St. Paul, which is also from Europe.
The parish, like many in rural Iowa, was a victim of declining numbers of clergy and people who opted to live and work on farms. Saints Peter and Paul parish was merged with St. Mary’s in Solon on June 30, 1996, and the church building was officially closed. That same year members from the former parish organized to preserve the church building. They bought the church from the diocese for a dollar and raised funds to renovate the building. By 1998 the renovation project was complete and the facility is used for weddings and other events.
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...
. The church is located in rural Solon, Iowa
Solon, Iowa
Solon is a city located in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. Part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area, it is located a few miles from Lake MacBride State Park and the larger cities of Coralville and Iowa City. The population was 1,177 at the 2000 census.-History:Solon is named...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, at 1165 NE Taft Avenue. The property is east of Iowa Highway 1 between Solon and Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, Iowa
Mount Vernon is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, adjacent to the city of Lisbon. The city's population was 3,390 when the 2000 census figures were released, but that number was later revised to 3,808 because the Census Bureau had incorrectly reported that 418 residents of a Cornell...
in Johnson County
Johnson County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 130,882 in the county, with a population density of . There were 55,967 housing units, of which 52,715 were occupied.-2000 census:...
. 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...
.
History
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church was founded around 1861 to serve Czech BohemianBohemian
A Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
immigrants who settled near Solon, Iowa. The first church building used by the parish was built of stone and located across the road from the present building. The stone was quarried locally and the building was built by hand for $1,300. In time the building started to deteriorate and it was closed in 1916 and torn down in 1938.
Ground was broken for the present building on April 18, 1916. It was dedicated on July 15, 1917. The Rev. Florian Svrdlik from St. Wenceslaus Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
preached the sermon at the ceremony. The bid for constructing the building was $13,800. The present church building is a steel frame structure covered with red brick and tile. Two offset spires front the building. The interior is decorated with a marble altar from Italy with a depiction of the Last Supper
Last Supper
The Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
carved into the front. The altar also contains a statue of the Infant of Prague. In the church’s vestibule is a 19th century painting portraying St. Peter and St. Paul, which is also from Europe.
The parish, like many in rural Iowa, was a victim of declining numbers of clergy and people who opted to live and work on farms. Saints Peter and Paul parish was merged with St. Mary’s in Solon on June 30, 1996, and the church building was officially closed. That same year members from the former parish organized to preserve the church building. They bought the church from the diocese for a dollar and raised funds to renovate the building. By 1998 the renovation project was complete and the facility is used for weddings and other events.