BROOKINGS – St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Sixth Street and Eighth Avenue, invites the community to the celebration of the 100th anniversary of its historic church buildings on Sunday.
The schedule for the day will include tours of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, First United Methodist Church and First Presbyterian Church, followed by a reception and program held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
St. Paul’s Episcopal, First United Methodist and First Presbyterian church facilities, all displaying Gothic elements, were constructed in the Central Residential Historic District during the first two decades of the 20th century.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, whose cornerstone was laid in 1917 and whose construction was completed in 1918, is the youngest of the three. These churches were constructed in Gothic Revival style, which saw its resurgence in the Upper Midwest circa 1900-1940. This style is identified by lancet windows (tall windows with pointed arches), steeply pitched gabled roofs and decorative embrasures on the corner towers.
In 1900, First Presbyterian Church erected a brick facility at 405 Seventh Ave. in the Free Form Gothic Revival style. In 1904, the Methodist Episcopal Church constructed its brick Gothic Revival style church at 625 Fifth St., and in 1917, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church built its edifice in the English Gothic style, with the exterior of contrasting “Old English” and “Colonial Brick.”
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church was designed by Ralph Adams Cram, a nationally acclaimed ecclesiastical architect and leader in the Gothic Revival movement. He designed many churches across the country, but he is particularly well known as the architect in charge of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City.
To complement the churches, several parsonages were also erected in the district. These buildings reflected the stylistic architectural trends used by homeowners in the area. The Episcopalians erected a two-story brick house of Neo-Colonial influence at 519 Eighth Ave. during the same year that the church was constructed. It was also designed by Ralph A. Cram. The Presbyterians built a two-story frame manse in 1914 at 704 Fifth St. in the American Foursquare style.
These historic churches have gone through various modifications and internal/external enhancements over the years, which will be pointed out during the tours, as will the notable stained-glass windows adorning the three churches.
Church tours will start at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 12:45 p.m. at 726 Sixth St. and will continue at 20-minute intervals to First United Methodist Church, 625 Fifth St., and First Presbyterian Church, 405 Seventh Ave. The tours will run from 12:45-2 p.m., and a reception will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 2 p.m. and program at 3 p.m.
Courtesy photos
