St. John's Episcopal Church (Keokuk, Iowa)
Encyclopedia
St. John’s Episcopal Church is a parish church in the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa
. It is located in Keokuk, Iowa
, United States
, at Fourth and Concert Streets, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
, Missionary Bishop of the Northwest, on April 20, 1850. The Rev Otis Hackett served as the first rector
of the church from 1850-1853. The first church for the parish was built under his direction in 1851. Services were held in the parishioner’s homes until it was completed.
and have a slate
roof. The rectory
, located next to the church, was completed in 1913. It was completed by the Rev. John C. Sage, who would become the bishop of the Diocese of Western Kansas
.
The church is a combination of Gothic Revival in its style and Richardsonian Romanesque
in its form and massing. The building measures 118 feet long and 48 feet high. The nave
is 54 feet wide with a transept
that measure 82 feet in total width. The corner bell tower is 75 feet high and contains the bell from the original church.
The interior of the church contains hand carved furnishings by William Bartels of Carthage, Illinois
. He carved the reredos
, altar
, altar rail, chancel screen and the ends of the pews. The three panels on the front of the altar depict grapes and wheat to represent the Eucharist
and a bas relief of Christ carrying the cross. The baptismal font, carved by William Bawden in limestone, is the only item in the interior from the original church.
The church has more than forty stained glass
windows. Most of the windows were installed at the time of construction while others have been added over the years. The most recent window was installed in the 1970s. Seven different company’s provided windows for the church, including Franz Mayer & Co.
of Munich, Germany, Tiffany Studios of New York City
, and the J. Wippell & Company of Exeter, England.
The pipe organ
was built in 1965 by the Temple Organ Company of Lamoni, Iowa
. It contains 22 registers, 27 ranks and 1,520 pipes. There is a processional organ in the rear of the nave.
Episcopal Diocese of Iowa
The Episcopal Diocese of Iowa is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America which covers all of Iowa. It is in Province VI. Its offices are in Des Moines, and it has two cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of St...
. It is located in Keokuk, Iowa
Keokuk, Iowa
Keokuk is a city in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Iowa and one of the county seats of Lee County. The other county seat is Fort Madison. The population was 11,427 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Sauk Chief Keokuk, who is thought to be buried in Rand Park...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, at Fourth and Concert Streets, and 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
St. John’s Church was begun by the Rt. Rev. Jackson KemperJackson Kemper
Bishop Jackson Kemper was the first missionary bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.Baptized David Jackson Kemper by Dr...
, Missionary Bishop of the Northwest, on April 20, 1850. The Rev Otis Hackett served as the first rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the church from 1850-1853. The first church for the parish was built under his direction in 1851. Services were held in the parishioner’s homes until it was completed.
Church
The present church building was designed by Boston architects Daniel Appleton and H.M. Stephenson. It was built when the Rev. Robert C. McIlwain was rector. Work was begun on the structure on June 5, 1884 and the first services were held in the church on February 12, 1888. The church was consecrated on January 4, 1891. The parish hall was constructed in 1895. Both buildings are built of limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and have a slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roof. 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...
, located next to the church, was completed in 1913. It was completed by the Rev. John C. Sage, who would become the bishop of the Diocese of Western Kansas
Episcopal Diocese of Western Kansas
The Episcopal Diocese of Western Kansas, created in 1971, is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over western Kansas. It was formerly the Episcopal Diocese of Salina and is in Province 7...
.
The church is a combination of Gothic Revival in its style and Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
in its form and massing. The building measures 118 feet long and 48 feet high. 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...
is 54 feet wide with a transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
that measure 82 feet in total width. The corner bell tower is 75 feet high and contains the bell from the original church.
The interior of the church contains hand carved furnishings by William Bartels of Carthage, Illinois
Carthage, Illinois
Carthage is a city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,725 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hancock County. Carthage is most famous for being the site of the murder of Joseph Smith in 1844.- History :...
. He carved the reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
, altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
, altar rail, chancel screen and the ends of the pews. The three panels on the front of the altar depict grapes and wheat to represent the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
and a bas relief of Christ carrying the cross. The baptismal font, carved by William Bawden in limestone, is the only item in the interior from the original church.
The church has more than forty 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. Most of the windows were installed at the time of construction while others have been added over the years. The most recent window was installed in the 1970s. Seven different company’s provided windows for the church, including 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, Tiffany Studios of 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...
, and the J. Wippell & Company of Exeter, England.
The 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 built in 1965 by the Temple Organ Company of Lamoni, Iowa
Lamoni, Iowa
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,444 people, 818 households, and 428 families residing in the city. The population density was 761.1 people per square mile . There were 904 housing units at an average density of 281.5 per square mile...
. It contains 22 registers, 27 ranks and 1,520 pipes. There is a processional organ in the rear of the nave.