St. Mary's Church of Gilberts
Encyclopedia
St. Mary's Church of Gilberts is a historic church in Gilberts
, Illinois
. The Catholic
church was built for the increasing population in the town in the late 19th century. The church is an excellent example of the rural Stick Style designs that some churches developed in the 1880s. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1992.
, Illinois
developed shortly after the construction of the Chicago and North Western Railroad in 1851. An early increase in the number of Catholic
locals required the construction of a much larger Catholic church. A church (the second Gilberts church with the St. Mary's name) was demolished in 1882 to make room for a new one. The present St. Mary's Church of Gilberts was built later that year at a cost of $2,800, using some of the materials from the previous church. A local carpenter, Oliver Kelly, designed and built the church in the Stick Style. Uncertainly remains about how the church leaders decided on that style, but it may have been due to pattern books distributed to church leaders in the late 19th century. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on August 18, 1992.
s and window hoods and has wide eaves
on either side. Large stained glass
rose window
s adorn the front and rear ends of the church, each with a large pointed arch above it and five smaller window arches below it. The front and two sides have additional stained glass windows with pointed arch openings. The front side had an additional quatrefoil
window in the gable. Concrete steps with iron railings lead to the entrance, which features oak paneled double doors. Additional doorways are located on the east and north sides.; the east doorway is the only entrance to the basement, which was built in the 1950s.
The interior resembles a simple basilica
with a high nave
, a vestibule
, and low aisles. A stairway on the left leads to the choir loft. A second set of wooden doors separated the vestibule from the rest of the interior. The interior walls are covered with plaster in shades of yellow. Statues, the altar table, and the tabernacle were restored in 1990. The altar is painted white with gold trim. The floor is pine, covered with linoleum under the pews and with carpet and sanctuary.
Gilberts, Illinois
Gilberts is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,279 at the 2000 census. The population has grown to 6,154 as of 2009 estimates...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. The Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
church was built for the increasing population in the town in the late 19th century. The church is an excellent example of the rural Stick Style designs that some churches developed in the 1880s. It was 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...
in 1992.
History
GilbertsGilberts, Illinois
Gilberts is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,279 at the 2000 census. The population has grown to 6,154 as of 2009 estimates...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
developed shortly after the construction of the Chicago and North Western Railroad in 1851. An early increase in the number of Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
locals required the construction of a much larger Catholic church. A church (the second Gilberts church with the St. Mary's name) was demolished in 1882 to make room for a new one. The present St. Mary's Church of Gilberts was built later that year at a cost of $2,800, using some of the materials from the previous church. A local carpenter, Oliver Kelly, designed and built the church in the Stick Style. Uncertainly remains about how the church leaders decided on that style, but it may have been due to pattern books distributed to church leaders in the late 19th century. It was 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...
on August 18, 1992.
Architecture
The church was built on the northwest corner of Mattesen St. and Union St. (now Galligan Rd.). The design of the church is consistent with rural interpretations of the Stick Style. The front of the one-story church faces the southeast. The rectangular frame structure features a steep gable roof but no steeple. This asphalt shingle roof is accentuated with dormerDormer
A dormer is a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows.Often...
s and window hoods and has wide eaves
Eaves
The eaves of a roof are its lower edges. They usually project beyond the walls of the building to carry rain water away.-Etymology:"Eaves" is derived from Old English and is both the singular and plural form of the word.- Function :...
on either side. Large 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...
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 adorn the front and rear ends of the church, each with a large pointed arch above it and five smaller window arches below it. The front and two sides have additional stained glass windows with pointed arch openings. The front side had an additional quatrefoil
Quatrefoil
The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.-In heraldry:In heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets . It is sometimes shown "slipped", i.e. with an...
window in the gable. Concrete steps with iron railings lead to the entrance, which features oak paneled double doors. Additional doorways are located on the east and north sides.; the east doorway is the only entrance to the basement, which was built in the 1950s.
The interior resembles a simple basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
with a high 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...
, a vestibule
Vestibule (architecture)
A vestibule is a lobby, entrance hall, or passage between the entrance and the interior of a building.The same term can apply to structures in modern or ancient roman architecture. In modern architecture vestibule typically refers to a small room or hall between an entrance and the interior of...
, and low aisles. A stairway on the left leads to the choir loft. A second set of wooden doors separated the vestibule from the rest of the interior. The interior walls are covered with plaster in shades of yellow. Statues, the altar table, and the tabernacle were restored in 1990. The altar is painted white with gold trim. The floor is pine, covered with linoleum under the pews and with carpet and sanctuary.