Old St. Peter's Landmark
Encyclopedia
Old Saint Peter's Landmark, commonly referred to simply as Old St. Peter's, is a historic building located at the corner of 3rd and Lincoln Streets in downtown The Dalles, Oregon
. It was built in 1897 and dedicated on March 17, 1898 as St. Peter's Church, and served the local Roman Catholic congregation as its place of worship until 1968. It was saved from scheduled demolition in 1971 by a group of concerned citizens who formed Old St. Peter's Landmark, Inc., for that specific purpose, and which maintains the building as a museum and site for weddings, concerts and other cultural events.
, and was constructed of red brick with a roof of galvanized iron Spanish tile. 120 feet (36.6 m) long and 40 feet (12.2 m) wide, the church boasts a spire which reaches 176 feet (53.6 m) at its peak, topped by a six-foot rooster weathervane, a symbol of the Saint Peter
.One parishioner stated her father, a blacksmith across the street from church at the time, made the rooster weathervane. Its height makes it literally a landmark, as it is visible from virtually all points in the city, and has been used by surveyors as a reference point from the time it was built to the present day. It is still used as a reference point by river boat pilots. The belfry
houses a 533 pound (242 kg) bell connected to a rope which reaches to the narthex
.
Old St. Peter's features 34 stained glass
windows, typical of Victorian
art glass style. They were designed and installed by the Povey Brothers Studio
in Portland, Oregon
, including six rose window
s. The faces of the daughters of David Povey were included among the cherubs depicted in the rose windows. The names on the window dedications include many pioneer families.
The statue of the Virgin Mary was carved from the keel of a sailing ship which sank off the coast of San Francisco in the mid 1850s. The keel was retrieved at the behest of two The Dalles families and the statue carved as a thank you for the survival of their loved ones.
The interior vaulted ceiling, nearly 40 feet at its highest point, is of stamped metal, and the sanctuary is decorated with painted detail by German artist Theodore Braash, who completed his work over several months in 1954 and 1955. The railings and altars are of Carrara marble, created and installed by Italian artisans.
The building as you see it today is as it was when saved in 1971, with the exception of a few more stations of the Cross having been returned. The Church chose not to take any of the interior appointments or furnishings, including statuary, baptistry, wooden hand-carved confessionals or pews decorated by steam press with wood and pearl trim in a leaf and ivy motif.
The Kilgen
pipe organ, made of rare tigerwood
and installed in 1927, thanks to the Church Ladies Society at the time, is still in place in the loft at the back of the nave
, and has been kept in working condition. This pipe organ
was made by the same company that made the pipe organ in St. Patrick's Cathedral
in New York City
. The first pump organ to be used at St. Peter's is on display, as well as a collapsible pump organ, transported by horseback, as the priest traveled the county.
The Dalles, Oregon
The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is...
. It was built in 1897 and dedicated on March 17, 1898 as St. Peter's Church, and served the local Roman Catholic congregation as its place of worship until 1968. It was saved from scheduled demolition in 1971 by a group of concerned citizens who formed Old St. Peter's Landmark, Inc., for that specific purpose, and which maintains the building as a museum and site for weddings, concerts and other cultural events.
Architecture and appointments
The building is an example of Gothic Revival architectureGothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
, and was constructed of red brick with a roof of galvanized iron Spanish tile. 120 feet (36.6 m) long and 40 feet (12.2 m) wide, the church boasts a spire which reaches 176 feet (53.6 m) at its peak, topped by a six-foot rooster weathervane, a symbol of the Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
.One parishioner stated her father, a blacksmith across the street from church at the time, made the rooster weathervane. Its height makes it literally a landmark, as it is visible from virtually all points in the city, and has been used by surveyors as a reference point from the time it was built to the present day. It is still used as a reference point by river boat pilots. The belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
houses a 533 pound (242 kg) bell connected to a rope which reaches to the narthex
Narthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper...
.
Old St. Peter's features 34 stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows, typical of Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
art glass style. They were designed and installed by the Povey Brothers Studio
Povey Brothers Studio
Povey Brothers Studio, also known as Povey Brothers Art Glass Works or Povey Bros. Glass Co., was an American producer of stained glass windows based in Portland, Oregon. The studio was active from 1888 to 1928. As the largest and best known art glass company in Oregon, it produced windows for...
in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, including six rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
s. The faces of the daughters of David Povey were included among the cherubs depicted in the rose windows. The names on the window dedications include many pioneer families.
The statue of the Virgin Mary was carved from the keel of a sailing ship which sank off the coast of San Francisco in the mid 1850s. The keel was retrieved at the behest of two The Dalles families and the statue carved as a thank you for the survival of their loved ones.
The interior vaulted ceiling, nearly 40 feet at its highest point, is of stamped metal, and the sanctuary is decorated with painted detail by German artist Theodore Braash, who completed his work over several months in 1954 and 1955. The railings and altars are of Carrara marble, created and installed by Italian artisans.
The building as you see it today is as it was when saved in 1971, with the exception of a few more stations of the Cross having been returned. The Church chose not to take any of the interior appointments or furnishings, including statuary, baptistry, wooden hand-carved confessionals or pews decorated by steam press with wood and pearl trim in a leaf and ivy motif.
The Kilgen
Kilgen
Kilgen was a prominent American builder of organs which was in business from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century.-History:-The Kilgen family:...
pipe organ, made of rare tigerwood
Tigerwood
Tigerwood may refer to several species of trees:* Coula edulis, a tree species native to tropical western Africa from Sierra Leone to Angola* Lovoa trichilioides, a tree species found in Africa* Goncalo alves, several species found in Brazil...
and installed in 1927, thanks to the Church Ladies Society at the time, is still in place in the loft at the back of the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, and has been kept in working condition. This pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
was made by the same company that made the pipe organ in St. Patrick's Cathedral
St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
The Cathedral of St. Patrick is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The first pump organ to be used at St. Peter's is on display, as well as a collapsible pump organ, transported by horseback, as the priest traveled the county.