Architectural History
History of St. Paul's UMC Building*
St. Paul's UMC, Cedar Rapids. moved into its present building during the seventy-fifth anniversary of the founding of the church.
On September 11, 1853, a plot of land located at the site of the later Union Station (now the Third Avenue parking ramp), was purchased for $180 from Judge Greene. That same year the society built upon this property a one story brick church. It was a very simple building, like the homes of the people at that time, yet it cost heroic efforts and great sacrifice. The new church, now as the "Little Brick Church," was not dedicated until 1856, the congregation having seen the structure blown down in a windstorm before it could be roofed. Undaunted, Rev. Skinner and his group cleansed the old mortar from the brick by hand and started building again.
In 1870, St. Paul's began a new building at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Fifth Street SE (where the present-day Waypoint is) to house a growing congregation. The lower floor was completed in 1873. Progress was slow, due to the financial panic of 1870. Services were held in the lower floor. In 1878, the main auditorium was finished, and Henry Ward Beecher came to preach in the new auditorium. A new parsonage was also part of the church for the first time. After "heroic efforts by the church women," the church debt was paid off by 1885.
In 1909, "country property" at the edge of town was purchased at Third Avenue and Fourtheenth Street SE. The circus grounds were located at Third Avenue and Sixteenth Street, SE. Letters were sent to several architects explaining the needs of the church and inviting competitive bids and plans. Louis Sullivan was commissioned to proceed with the designs and plans. From 1910 to 1912, Louis Sullivan lived at 1316 Third Avenue SE. The Sullivan design concept of "the modern church for a seven-day program" included a highly organized Sunday School, a gymnasium, and a dome of many-colored glass for the auditorium roof. The cost, however, was twice what had been planned for, and Sullivan was told to re-draw the plans within the budget. After making minor changes that reduced cost only slightly, Sullivan resigned as architect in March, 1912, rather than sacrifice the ornamentation of his design.
The church kept his plans, however, and W. C. Jones was hired to redraw the Sullivan plans to within the budget of $100,000. The resulting building only differed from Sullivan's in the removal of many of the decorative frills. For instance, Sullivan's original drawing shows four huge angels on the four sides of the church tower. There were other more pronounced changes in the interior of the building, especially the auditorium. The new plan was called "the Cedar Rapids Plan."
On May 31, 1914, the "new St. Paul's" was dedicated by Bishop William Quayle. The basement floor, in keeping with the recent President Teddy Roosevel's enthusiasm for fitness, contained a gymnasium with bleachers, lockers, and showers. It was located on the same side of the basement as the chapel, as was contained within a sub-basement. On entering the gymnasium, one stepped down into the bleachers area. It was dedicated "in honor of the children, for their entertainment; for development of strong bodies and clear brains; for the training of young people to win victories without boasting and to accept defeat without chagrin; for the training of young people in self-control, in cooperation, teamwork, that in all life they may heop one another and be workers together with God."
One outstanding feature of the church is the buttressed center tower, twenty-two feet square, and 108 feet high. The illuminated cross stands twelve feet high. Airplane pilots used the cross and its light to help find their way in early days.
In 1942, the mortgage was paid off, and and a mortgage-burning party was held. In 1946, the church remodeled and carpeted the sanctuary, including rebuilding the organ, remodeled the chapel, and turned what had been the gymnasium into classroom space. In 1954, the Sanctuary (formerly called the Auditorium) was renovated. In 1962, ground was broken for the new education wing. Classes met for the first time in January, 1963.
In 1976, a sound-reflecting wall was built behind the adult choir seating area to improve the sound for the congregation. A bell loft for hand bell choirs was also built in 1976. In 1977, the new pipe organ was completed, with four divisions, 43 ranks, and a total of 2,358 pipes. Robert L. Sipe ws the organ builder.
In 1984, St. Paul's was elected to the National Register of Historic Places as an outstanding example of church design.
* Excerpted from St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 1840-1990, by Beth Heffner, ed. Laura Derr, April 1989.
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