St. Katherine's Historic District
Encyclopedia
St. Katherine's Historic District is located on the east side Davenport, Iowa
, United States
and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. It is the campus of a former Episcopal
girl’s school named St. Katherine’s Hall. It is currently the location of a senior living facility called St. Katherine’s Living Center.
, the second Bishop of Iowa
announced his intention to build a school for girls in Davenport. The diocese already operated Griswold College in Davenport. It was founded on property of the former Iowa College, now known as Grinnell College
after it moved to Grinnell, Iowa
. The school had been founded in 1859 by the Rt. Rev. Henry Washington Lee
, the first Bishop of Iowa. A high school for boys, called Kemper Hall, was created on the campus in 1885. The school was officially closed in 1899. The college property today is the location of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
and Davenport Central High School
.
St. Katherine’s Hall replaced Trinity School for girls, which was located in the parish hall of the Cathedral. Because of the will of Sarah Burr from New York City
the diocese was able to consider opening a new school for girls. She had bequeathed $30,000 for such a purpose. They chose a residence on the east side of Davenport called “Cambria Place,” the former home of John L. Davies for the location of the school, which opened in 1884 with Adelia Rice as principal and 25 students. The institution was considered a “superior” church boarding school with a college preparatory curriculum. It also allowed day students from the area as well. The school grew quickly and an addition, called St. Mary’s Hall, was built in 1885 and 1886. By its third year there was room for 60 boarding students. While most of the students were Episcopalian, there was no such requirement for admission to the school.
The school continued to grow. In 1888 the Richardson Observatory was built. It was said to contain the finest telescope in Iowa. In 1902 the administration of the school was taken over by the Sisters of St. Mary. St. Mary’s Chapel and a gymnasium were built in 1903 and the neighboring Renwick House was added to the campus in 1909. It was renamed St. Margaret’s Hall.
A former teacher at St. Katherine’s, Marion Crandall, was the first American woman killed in World War I
. She had taught French at the school and went to work for the French Canteen. She was killed by an exploding shell in France
on March 27, 1918.
Major changes came to St. Katherine’s in the later part of the 20th century. The school discontinued accepting boarding students in 1968 and became co-educational. With the addition of boys the name of the school was changed to St. Katherine St. Mark. In 1973 it moved to the Joseph F. Bettendorf House
in neighboring Bettendorf
. The school amicably broke its ties with the Episcopal Church in 1980. In 2000 the name of the school changed to Rivermont Collegiate
.
When the school moved to Bettendorf the property was sold and became a nursing home complex. The buildings started to fall into disrepair until they were bought in 1997 by historic property developer Chris Ales and it was converted into a senior living center in 2001. The facility was transformed into 38 low-income senior citizen apartments. The Renwick House was renovated by Ales for his company’s headquarters, but he was forced to sell the property to Dr. Joseph Seng in 2007. It is now a bed and breakfast.
in Des Moines. Both houses were built in the Italian Villa style, which Cochrane introduced to Davenport. Cambria Place was built in 1872. It was constructed of red brick
, with a hipped roof
covered in slate
, ornamented eve brackets, decorative gabled dormers and different window shapes.
The Renwick Mansion was built by lumber barron William Renwick in 1877. It features a large three-story entry tower, ornate iron cresting, 12- to 14 feet (4.3 m)-high wood parlor doors, eight fireplaces and a three-story staircase. Renwick also built the Renwick Building
downtown and it is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The additions designed in the 1880s by Edward S. Hammatt, who also designed the buildings for Kemper Hall, were designed to match Cambria Place. While the chapel and gymnasium additions were also brick, their buttresses and pointed-top windows suggest the Gothic Revival style.
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
. It is the campus of a former Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
girl’s school named St. Katherine’s Hall. It is currently the location of a senior living facility called St. Katherine’s Living Center.
History
In 1883 the Rt. Rev. William Stevens PerryWilliam Stevens Perry
William Stevens Perry was a 19th century bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America and an educator. He served as the second bishop of the Diocese of Iowa from 1876 - 1898....
, the second Bishop of Iowa
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...
announced his intention to build a school for girls in Davenport. The diocese already operated Griswold College in Davenport. It was founded on property of the former Iowa College, now known as Grinnell College
Grinnell College
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, U.S. known for its strong tradition of social activism. It was founded in 1846, when a group of pioneer New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College....
after it moved to Grinnell, Iowa
Grinnell, Iowa
Grinnell is a city in Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,218 at the 2010 census. Grinnell was named after Josiah Bushnell Grinnell and is the home of Grinnell College.- History :...
. The school had been founded in 1859 by the Rt. Rev. Henry Washington Lee
Henry Washington Lee
Henry Washington Lee was a 19th century bishop in the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. He served as the first Bishop of Iowa from 1854-1874...
, the first Bishop of Iowa. A high school for boys, called Kemper Hall, was created on the campus in 1885. The school was officially closed in 1899. The college property today is the location of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
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...
and Davenport Central High School
Davenport Central High School
Davenport Central High School is a four-year comprehensive high school located in Davenport, Iowa. Opened in 1907 as "Davenport High School," Central is one of three public high schools part of the Davenport Community School District. The school, whose western side is located along U.S...
.
St. Katherine’s Hall replaced Trinity School for girls, which was located in the parish hall of the Cathedral. Because of the will of Sarah Burr from 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 diocese was able to consider opening a new school for girls. She had bequeathed $30,000 for such a purpose. They chose a residence on the east side of Davenport called “Cambria Place,” the former home of John L. Davies for the location of the school, which opened in 1884 with Adelia Rice as principal and 25 students. The institution was considered a “superior” church boarding school with a college preparatory curriculum. It also allowed day students from the area as well. The school grew quickly and an addition, called St. Mary’s Hall, was built in 1885 and 1886. By its third year there was room for 60 boarding students. While most of the students were Episcopalian, there was no such requirement for admission to the school.
The school continued to grow. In 1888 the Richardson Observatory was built. It was said to contain the finest telescope in Iowa. In 1902 the administration of the school was taken over by the Sisters of St. Mary. St. Mary’s Chapel and a gymnasium were built in 1903 and the neighboring Renwick House was added to the campus in 1909. It was renamed St. Margaret’s Hall.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. She had taught French at the school and went to work for the French Canteen. She was killed by an exploding shell in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on March 27, 1918.
Major changes came to St. Katherine’s in the later part of the 20th century. The school discontinued accepting boarding students in 1968 and became co-educational. With the addition of boys the name of the school was changed to St. Katherine St. Mark. In 1973 it moved to the Joseph F. Bettendorf House
Joseph F. Bettendorf House
The Joseph F. Bettendorf House, located at 1821 Sunset Drive, Bettendorf, Iowa is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built as a private home, the building now houses a private school named Rivermont Collegiate.-History :...
in neighboring Bettendorf
Bettendorf, Iowa
Bettendorf is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Bettendorf is the fifteenth largest city in the U.S. state of Iowa and the fourth largest city in the "Quad Cities". As of the 2010 United States Census the population grew to 33,217. Bettendorf is one of the Quad Cities, along with...
. The school amicably broke its ties with the Episcopal Church in 1980. In 2000 the name of the school changed to Rivermont Collegiate
Rivermont Collegiate
Rivermont Collegiate is a nonsectarian, independent, multicultural, college preparatory school for students - preschool through twelfth grade...
.
When the school moved to Bettendorf the property was sold and became a nursing home complex. The buildings started to fall into disrepair until they were bought in 1997 by historic property developer Chris Ales and it was converted into a senior living center in 2001. The facility was transformed into 38 low-income senior citizen apartments. The Renwick House was renovated by Ales for his company’s headquarters, but he was forced to sell the property to Dr. Joseph Seng in 2007. It is now a bed and breakfast.
Architecture
Both Cambria Place and the Renwick Mansion were designed by John C. Cochrane, who was one of Davenport’s first professional architects. His most famous work was the Iowa State CapitolIowa State Capitol
The Iowa State Capitol is located in Iowa's capital city, Des Moines, and houses the Iowa Senate, Iowa House of Representatives, the Office of the Governor, and the Offices of the Attorney General, Auditor, Treasurer, and Secretary of State...
in Des Moines. Both houses were built in the Italian Villa style, which Cochrane introduced to Davenport. Cambria Place was built in 1872. It was constructed of red brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
, with a hipped roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
covered in 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...
, ornamented eve brackets, decorative gabled dormers and different window shapes.
The Renwick Mansion was built by lumber barron William Renwick in 1877. It features a large three-story entry tower, ornate iron cresting, 12- to 14 feet (4.3 m)-high wood parlor doors, eight fireplaces and a three-story staircase. Renwick also built the Renwick Building
Renwick Building
The Renwick Building is located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983, and on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties since 2000. It is known locally for the large painted sign on the north side of the building...
downtown and it is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The additions designed in the 1880s by Edward S. Hammatt, who also designed the buildings for Kemper Hall, were designed to match Cambria Place. While the chapel and gymnasium additions were also brick, their buttresses and pointed-top windows suggest the Gothic Revival style.