Saint Irenaeus Church
About this property
Saint Irenaeus Church is a former parish of the Diocese of Davenport. The church was founded in the town of Lyons, which now the north side of Clinton, Iowa, United States. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2010. Bishop Mathias Loras of the Diocese of Dubuque said the first Mass in Lyons. The Mass was celebrated in a log home in 1848. The area was visited by various priests, including the Rev. J.A.M. Pelamourges from Davenport, and the Rev. Frederic Cyrille Jean, who was assigned as the first resident pastor. Jean was originally from Baynes, France and came to the United States upon the invitation of Bishop Loras. He came to Lyons from Bellevue and started building a church as soon as he arrived and it was completed in 1852. The building was built of brick and cost $1,500 to construct. The parish grew quickly and a larger church was built in 1856. In 1864 Bishop Clement Smyth laid the cornerstone for the present church. Parishioners helped in building the church without pay. It is a Gothic Revival style building constructed in limestone, which was quarried just outside the town. The building was completed in 1871 and cost the parish $45,000. The building measure 130 by 60 feet and could accommodate 450 people. The ceiling is 50 feet (15 m) off the floor. The stained glass windows depict the Twelve Apostles. Two offset spires front the building. The south spires rises 166 feet (51 m) and the north spire is 136 feet (41 m) high. Father Jean returned to his native France before the church was completed. While there he was given ornate golden chandelier modeled after the crown of France. It was a gift from the Bonaparte family to the parish to be used as the sanctuary lamp. The parish school was built at the same time as the church. It cost $4,000 to build and it was staffed by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary from Dubuque. In 1861 the German members of the parish formed their own parish a few blocks away called St. Boniface. That left St. Irenaeus a predominantly Irish parish. Other parishes were formed to the south in Clinton: St. Mary's (1867), St. Patrick's (1889), and Sacred Heart (1891). In 1906 the church building was completely reversed. Initially, the main entrance of the church faced Fifth Street. North Second Street on the back side of the church became a major thoroughfare through town. To accommodate the change the main entrance of the church was moved to the west side of the church on Second Street and the altar was moved to the east side of the church and the pews were reversed to face the altar. The new entrance also eliminated the long staircases up to the entrances. A gallery was created on the west side of the church. In 1911 all five Clinton parishes joined the Davenport Diocese when Clinton County was transferred to the Diocese of Davenport.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Saint Irenaeus Church listed on the National Register?
Saint Irenaeus Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 2, 2010.
What type of historic resource is Saint Irenaeus Church?
Saint Irenaeus Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Saint Irenaeus Church?
The period of significance for Saint Irenaeus Church is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Saint Irenaeus Church?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Saint Irenaeus Church will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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