Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church (Harper, Iowa)
Encyclopedia
Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church is a former parish of the Diocese of Davenport
. The church is located in rural Harper, Iowa
, United States
, on 242nd St in Clear Creek Township, Keokuk County
. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. The parish was known in the Davenport Diocese as Saints Peter and Paul, Clear Creek.
The Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi
from Milwaukee taught in the parish school from 1895-1902. During this time plans for the current church structure were made. Ferdinand S. Borgolte from Rock Island, Illinois
was chosen as the architect, and Harry Schroeder of Washington, Iowa
was the contractor. The cornerstone was laid on June 8, 1898 by Bishop Henry Cosgrove
of Davenport. The building is Victorian Gothic in style and constructed in red brick. There is a central entrance tower, which rises 150 feet (45.7 m), and was the tallest structure in Keokuk County when it was built. The exterior features decorative brickwork. The building contains period stained glass windows and has wood carved altars and pews. The stained glass windows were donated by parish families and they portray various saints. Donor’s names are inscribed below. The altars are hand carved walnut with gold leaf trim. The work is attributted to Nickolas Juhl of Davenport
. The church building was dedicated on April 18, 1899, and was built for about $10,000.
In 1902 the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood taught in the school for a few months before lay teachers took over. The following year the School Sisters of St. Francis from Milwaukee came to teach in the school. A new school building with living quarters for the sisters was built in 1906. A new rectory was built in 1911. It was destroyed by a fire in 1930 when the present structure was built.
Two of the three bells were placed in the tower in 1907. The larger of the two bells weighs 2060 pounds and cost $566. The smaller bell weighs 1100 pounds and cost $290.
In 1963 a parish hall was created in the basement of the church. The parish school joined the Keota-Harper Catholic School System in 1977. In 1979 the parish lost its resident pastor, and in 1983 the school building was torn down.
The parish was officially dissolved on July 1, 1992 when it joined St. Mary's parish in Keota
and St. Elizabeth's in Harper
to form Holy Trinity parish. The last regularly scheduled Mass in the church was celebrated on June 25, 2006 by the Rev. Marty Goetz. On June 13, 2009 Bishop Martin Amos
approved the sale of the church building to the Clear Creek Heritage Association.
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 Harper, Iowa
Harper, Iowa
Harper is a city in Keokuk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 134 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Harper's longitude and latitude coordinatesin decimal form are 41.3625116, -92.0510106...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, on 242nd St in Clear Creek Township, Keokuk County
Keokuk County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 10,511 in the county, with a population density of . There were 4,931 housing units, of which 4,408 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...
. The parish was known in the Davenport Diocese as Saints Peter and Paul, Clear Creek.
History
Catholics in Clear Creek Township purchased 20 acres (8.1 ha) of land in 1857 for a Catholic church and cemetery. The parish was served by itinerant priests who would visit occasionally. The first Mass was celebrated in the log structure on the property in 1859, and the parish was organized in 1860. The parish started its first church building built of brick in 1863, which was dedicated to the apostles Peter and Paul. The old log church was used for a school until 1875 when the first school building was erected. A rectory was built in 1893-4 for a resident priest.The Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi
Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi
The Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi is a Roman Catholic religious congregation for women. The motherhouse is in St. Francis, Wisconsin, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The Sisters of St...
from Milwaukee taught in the parish school from 1895-1902. During this time plans for the current church structure were made. Ferdinand S. Borgolte from Rock Island, Illinois
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...
was chosen as the architect, and Harry Schroeder of Washington, Iowa
Washington, Iowa
Washington is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,047 at the 2000 census.-History:...
was the contractor. The cornerstone was laid on June 8, 1898 by Bishop Henry Cosgrove
Henry Cosgrove
Henry Cosgrove was a late 19th century and early 20th century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the second bishop of Diocese of Davenport, in the state of Iowa from 1884-1906....
of Davenport. The building is Victorian Gothic in style and constructed in red brick. There is a central entrance tower, which rises 150 feet (45.7 m), and was the tallest structure in Keokuk County when it was built. The exterior features decorative brickwork. The building contains period stained glass windows and has wood carved altars and pews. The stained glass windows were donated by parish families and they portray various saints. Donor’s names are inscribed below. The altars are hand carved walnut with gold leaf trim. The work is attributted to Nickolas Juhl of Davenport
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...
. The church building was dedicated on April 18, 1899, and was built for about $10,000.
In 1902 the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood taught in the school for a few months before lay teachers took over. The following year the School Sisters of St. Francis from Milwaukee came to teach in the school. A new school building with living quarters for the sisters was built in 1906. A new rectory was built in 1911. It was destroyed by a fire in 1930 when the present structure was built.
Two of the three bells were placed in the tower in 1907. The larger of the two bells weighs 2060 pounds and cost $566. The smaller bell weighs 1100 pounds and cost $290.
In 1963 a parish hall was created in the basement of the church. The parish school joined the Keota-Harper Catholic School System in 1977. In 1979 the parish lost its resident pastor, and in 1983 the school building was torn down.
The parish was officially dissolved on July 1, 1992 when it joined St. Mary's parish in Keota
Keota, Iowa
Keota is a city in Keokuk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,025 at the 2000 census.- 2010 Fire :A large part of historic downtown Keota was damaged by a fire on December 4, 2010...
and St. Elizabeth's in Harper
Harper, Iowa
Harper is a city in Keokuk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 134 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Harper's longitude and latitude coordinatesin decimal form are 41.3625116, -92.0510106...
to form Holy Trinity parish. The last regularly scheduled Mass in the church was celebrated on June 25, 2006 by the Rev. Marty Goetz. On June 13, 2009 Bishop Martin Amos
Martin John Amos
Martin John Amos is a bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland in the state of Ohio from 2001–2006, and as the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Davenport in the state of Iowa since 2006.-Early Life & Ministry:Martin John Amos...
approved the sale of the church building to the Clear Creek Heritage Association.