National Register of Historic Places

St. James Episcopal Church

Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa
Listed
December 13, 1991
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
91001762

About this property

St. James Episcopal Church is a parish of the Diocese of Iowa located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. The parish was begun on May 27, 1855, and it was incorporated in August 1857. A lot was bought for a church on South Market Street, the location of the Oskaloosa Public Library, but it was exchanged for the corner lot at First Ave East and South Third Street. A Gothic Revival style church and a rectory were built on the property in 1869 for $12,000. It was a frame structure that measured 28 by 50 feet (8.5 by 15.2 m), and it was consecrated on November 20, 1870. The church building was moved to the back of the property in 1896 in preparation for the construction of the present church in 1900. Frank E. Wetherell, a parishioner, designed the Late Gothic Revival style building. It was built of brick with a bell tower by Henry Wetherell for $20,000. The new church was consecrated on February 2, 1902. The old church is attached to the south side of the new church, and it is veneered in brick. The congregation worshiped without an organ until 1920 when $2,500 was raised to purchase one. The 45-foot (14 m) tower holds 10 bells that were given by Alice Williams Bennett in memory of her parents Micajah and Virginia Williams. The tower was severely damaged by lightning in 1927 and had to be rebuilt. The church's interior features an oak carved altar, lectern, pulpit, rood screen, and altar rail. Stained glass windows line the east and west walls. The original frame church was renovated in the 1950s for classrooms, office space, and a children's chapel. In 1985 a pipe organ, which had been built for a church in Bloomer, Wisconsin in 1930, was purchased a rebuilt in the church. It contains 1,126 pipes. A new oak altar was built in 1993 so the priest can face the congregation during the service. It was consecrated on March 29, 1994. The original church was remodeled again in 2001 to create a new fellowship hall. While it was air-conditioned at the time the rest of the church building was air-conditioned in 2004.

Location

Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa
41.29424, -92.64165

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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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Nearby Historic Sites

McMullin, Maj. James W., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Mahaska County Courthouse
Industrial
0.1 mi
Oskaloosa City Park and Band Stand
Listed
0.1 mi
Seeberger-Loring-Kilburn House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Oskaloosa Fire Station
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was St. James Episcopal Church listed on the National Register?

St. James Episcopal Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 13, 1991.

What type of historic resource is St. James Episcopal Church?

St. James Episcopal Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for St. James Episcopal Church?

The period of significance for St. James Episcopal Church is recorded as the industrial era.

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