St. Augustin Catholic Church (Des Moines, Iowa)

St. Augustin Catholic Church is a Catholic parish in the Diocese of Des Moines located on the west side of Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was included as a contributing property in the Greenwood Park Plats Historic District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.[2]

St. Augustin Roman Catholic Church
Location545 42nd St.
Des Moines, Iowa
Coordinates41°35′06.6″N 93°40′25.2″W
Built1922-1924
ArchitectMaginnis & Walsh
Architectural styleGothic Revival
Part ofGreenwood Park Plats Historic District (ID13000068[1])
Added to NRHPApril 24, 2013

History

The parish began when 12 parishioners from St. Ambrose Cathedral petitioned Bishop Thomas Drumm for a new west side parish in 1920. He assigned the Rev. John Noonan as the founding pastor, and a part of the former Iowa State Fairgrounds property on Grand Avenue was acquired for $20,000.[3] The prominent Boston architectural firm Maginnis & Walsh, who were known for their ecclesiastical work, designed the new parish church. It was built for about for $100,000, and it was dedicated on February 3, 1924.[2] The stained glass windows were added in 1935. The parish paid off its debt of $293,000 and it was consecrated by Bishop Gerald Bergan in 1947.[4]

A parish school was established and a seven-room school building was completed further to the west on Grand Avenue in 1926. The school was staffed by the Adrian Dominican Sisters. The rectory was added to the church in 1928. A new school building was completed during the pastorate of Msgr. Gerald Walker (1948-1981). The parking lot was enlarged in 1951 when the city discontinued street parking,[2] and a residence at 4111 Grand Avenue was removed around this time. The church complex was enlarged in 1985, 1989, and in 1998. The parking lot and the school building were expanded during the pastorate of Msgr. Frank Bognanno (1990-2000).

Architecture

The church is English Gothic in style, and it is dominated by a large square tower located at the crossing. The tower is similar in design to the Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ immediately to the north.[2] The church complex is a brick structure with Bedford stone trim, and a red flat-tile roof. The stained glass windows are the work of Charles Jay Connick of Boston.[3]

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References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. James E. Jacobsen. "Greenwood Park Plats Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved 2017-10-30.
  3. "Parish History". St. Augustin Church. Retrieved 2017-10-30.
  4. Avella, Steven M. (2018). The Catholic Church in Southwest Iowa. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press. p. 177. ISBN 9780814644713.
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