New Chapter for a Modern Landmark
in the Heartland
by Joshua Castaño
Director of Community Engagement Services, Partners for Sacred Places
and Chad Martin
Director, National Fund for Sacred Places
F
ew churches can match the importance of St. Paul’s United Methodist in Cedar
Rapids, Iowa in the history of American architecture and religious education. It
is a landmark on the American prairie, reflecting a beautiful and unique
blend of congregational vision and architectural genius. And now it is a
participant in the National Fund for Sacred Places.
In 1913, when this fast-growing congregation needed more space
for education, ministry, and outreach to the community, it gave architects
in the Midwest an opportunity to design a new facility that reflected
its “seven-day a week” approach to ministry. The new facility
would need to express the congregation’s “muscular
Christianity,” a hard-working, civic-minded and energetic
form of religious faith that was active in the life of the
community. None of the designs was
satisfactory, save that offered by
Louis Sullivan (1856-1924) the
visionary designer who has
St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Photo: L.J. Schneekloth Photography
SACRED PLACES • WINTER 2019
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