St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Durant, Iowa)
Encyclopedia
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is a parish church in the Diocese of Iowa
. The church is located in Durant, Iowa
, United States
. The parish was founded in 1856. The church building and parish hall have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
since 1985.
, the first bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, led the first services in Durant in the Rock Island Railroad depot in 1856. Freight boxes containing champagne were used for the pulpit, altar, and pews. A meeting was held after the service to organize the parish. The name St. Paul was chosen because many of the members had belonged to St. Paul's Episcopal Church in New Haven, Connecticut
before moving to Iowa. The church in Connecticut contributed $75 that began the building fund for the church.
Thomas C. Durant
, the town's founder, donated land for the first church. It was located on the north side of town and was dedicated by Bishop Lee in October 1856. That same year a "seminary" for girls, or junior/senior high school, was established. In the early 1870’s the
seminary curriculum was expanded to include boys and a library was built. The co-educational boarding and day school was renamed
the Boardman School, after its primary benefactor. The school continued into the 1890’s when Durant’s public high school was established.
By 1895 the congregation had outgrown its first building. On May 28 the original church was sold and the present building was purchased from the Congregationalists, who had built it in 1856. The bell, stained glass windows and the furniture from the old church were moved to the new church. The sanctuary was added in 1895 to accommodate Episcopal worship. The parish hall was constructed next to the church by members of the congregation in 1895. It has served as Sunday School building, vicar’s office, town library, and town community center.
St. Paul’s was unable to hold regular worship services from 1925 and 1944. In June 1944 the clergy and lay leaders from Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
in Davenport
restarted services. The Rev. Vine Victor Deloria, first priest of Native American
heritage to serve in the Diocese of Iowa, was vicar at St. Paul's from 1959-1960 after which he left the diocese. He had previously served as priest-in-charge at Trinity in Denison
, Trinity Memorial
in Mapleton
and St. John's in Vail
.
An undercroft
was added to the church in 1950. The "gingerbread gothic" steeple and belfry was restored in 1979. In 1981, the pipe organ from Trinity Cathedral was rebuilt and moved to Saint Paul’s. It was later replaced for $6,000 in 1985 by the Kilgen
organ, which had been built about 1879. St. Paul's achieved parish status in 2004.
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...
. The church is located in Durant, Iowa
Durant, Iowa
Durant is a city in Cedar, Muscatine, and Scott counties in the US state of Iowa. The population was 1,677 at the 2000 census. The community is named in honor of Thomas C...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The parish was founded in 1856. The church building and parish hall have been 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...
since 1985.
History
The Rt. Rev. Henry Washington LeeHenry 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 the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, led the first services in Durant in the Rock Island Railroad depot in 1856. Freight boxes containing champagne were used for the pulpit, altar, and pews. A meeting was held after the service to organize the parish. The name St. Paul was chosen because many of the members had belonged to St. Paul's Episcopal Church in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
before moving to Iowa. The church in Connecticut contributed $75 that began the building fund for the church.
Thomas C. Durant
Thomas C. Durant
Thomas Clark Durant, was an American financier and railroad promoter. He was vice-president of the Union Pacific in 1869 when it met with the Central Pacific railroad at Promontory Summit in Utah Territory...
, the town's founder, donated land for the first church. It was located on the north side of town and was dedicated by Bishop Lee in October 1856. That same year a "seminary" for girls, or junior/senior high school, was established. In the early 1870’s the
seminary curriculum was expanded to include boys and a library was built. The co-educational boarding and day school was renamed
the Boardman School, after its primary benefactor. The school continued into the 1890’s when Durant’s public high school was established.
By 1895 the congregation had outgrown its first building. On May 28 the original church was sold and the present building was purchased from the Congregationalists, who had built it in 1856. The bell, stained glass windows and the furniture from the old church were moved to the new church. The sanctuary was added in 1895 to accommodate Episcopal worship. The parish hall was constructed next to the church by members of the congregation in 1895. It has served as Sunday School building, vicar’s office, town library, and town community center.
St. Paul’s was unable to hold regular worship services from 1925 and 1944. In June 1944 the clergy and lay leaders from 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...
in 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...
restarted services. The Rev. Vine Victor Deloria, first priest of Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
heritage to serve in the Diocese of Iowa, was vicar at St. Paul's from 1959-1960 after which he left the diocese. He had previously served as priest-in-charge at Trinity in Denison
Denison, Iowa
Denison is a city in Crawford County, Iowa, United States, along the Boyer River. The population was 7,339 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Crawford County.-Geography:Denison is located at ....
, Trinity Memorial
Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church (Mapleton, Iowa)
Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church is a former parish church in the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa. The historic building is located in Mapleton, Iowa, United States. The church building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990...
in Mapleton
Mapleton, Iowa
Mapleton is a city in Monona County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,416 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mapleton is located at...
and St. John's in Vail
Vail, Iowa
Vail is a city in Crawford County, Iowa, United States. The population was 452 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Vail is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
.
An undercroft
Undercroft
An undercroft is traditionally a cellar or storage room, often brick-lined and vaulted, and used for storage in buildings since medieval times. In modern usage, an undercroft is generally a ground area which is relatively open to the sides, but covered by the building above.- History :While some...
was added to the church in 1950. The "gingerbread gothic" steeple and belfry was restored in 1979. In 1981, the pipe organ from Trinity Cathedral was rebuilt and moved to Saint Paul’s. It was later replaced for $6,000 in 1985 by 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:...
organ, which had been built about 1879. St. Paul's achieved parish status in 2004.