Alton
Iowa
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Saint Mary's Catholic Church
Towering above the western edge of the city of Alton, the majestic and historic towers of St. Mary's Catholic Church stand with pride. The strength of this Parish has been evidenced in its great contribution to the community of Alton and surrounding areas.
The church was founded in 1870 by a group of Catholics who reached Sioux County in May of that year. It was originally named St. Donatus, in memory of the parish they had left in eastern Iowa. As the story is told, the church was later named St. Mary's after a statue of Mary that the early settlers had carried with them on their original voyage from Luxemburg in the late 1840's. That same statue resides in the current school building today.
The first mass was celebrated in a local store in October 1873 and the first church building, the old "Prairie Church" was built in 1881 southeast of Alton. That building was dismantled and the lumber and materials were used in building the new church in Alton which was completed in 1897. The finished church, with a seating capacity of 800 people, was listed as the largest church in Sioux County at that time. A church cemetery was also established around the same time.
In 1886, the Bishop Marty of South Dakota dedicated the newly build St. Mary's Church. The present building was constructed in 1908 and dedicated on July 14, 1909 by Bishop O'Gorman of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Repairs to the exterior of the church in 1941 changed the original roofline. The roof had to be extended, thus covering the windows in the clerestory and altering the outward appearance of the structure.
The exterior of the new church is reflective of Romanesque architecture with its heavy walls, jutting geometric angles and curved arches. It stands 168 feet long, 68 feet wide across the front of the church including the twin towers, 70 feet wide in transept.
The interior of the church, while maintaining some classic Romanesque features, also touches on some High Gothic style with its flowing nave to wall elevation. Prior to the remodeling in 1941, this feature in the original design allowed more light to enter the nave through the windows in the clerestory. The center nave and ceiling in the sanctuary measure 43 feet 6 inches in height.
The "New Model Four Quarter Striking Church Tower Clock," with eight six-foot diameter dials was installed as a gift from Alton's generous citizens -- "not for the Church or Parish, but for the town and vicinity of Alton."
The magnificent stained glass windows, imported from Munich, Germany are estimated to be the largest square footage in any one church (about 2,300 square feet) in the United States. Each window depicts a significant period in the life of Jesus.
St. Mary's has had a long history of superior education in this area. The first Parish School was officially opened in 1885 with the construction of the first building in 1886. By 1893 a new building was constructed and six years later, an addition was completed to accommodate growth.
By 1900, the school offered full high school curriculum consisting of eleven grades. Attendance at this time was over 200 and St. Mary's was considered the best educational institution in this part of the state.
From 1907-1962, St. Mary's Academy graduated 683 students from their accredited school system. In 1962, the high school merged with St. Joseph's in Granville and St. Anthony's in Hospers to form Spalding High School. 1964 brought the building of a new grade school in Alton which is still used today by grades four through six on the Spalding Catholic Grade School.
Two of St. Mary's longest running organizations include the Rosary Society and St. Mary's Guild which are both over a century old. Each organization exists today with over two hundred twenty active members who help support the Parish in spiritual and financial ways.
The history of St. Mary's Parish in Alton is one that is written with pride as so much has been accomplished over the years. The church's deep roots in the community have been developed by faith and religious beliefs that continue to grow and mature with the passing of time.
The church was founded in 1870 by a group of Catholics who reached Sioux County in May of that year. It was originally named St. Donatus, in memory of the parish they had left in eastern Iowa. As the story is told, the church was later named St. Mary's after a statue of Mary that the early settlers had carried with them on their original voyage from Luxemburg in the late 1840's. That same statue resides in the current school building today.
The first mass was celebrated in a local store in October 1873 and the first church building, the old "Prairie Church" was built in 1881 southeast of Alton. That building was dismantled and the lumber and materials were used in building the new church in Alton which was completed in 1897. The finished church, with a seating capacity of 800 people, was listed as the largest church in Sioux County at that time. A church cemetery was also established around the same time.
In 1886, the Bishop Marty of South Dakota dedicated the newly build St. Mary's Church. The present building was constructed in 1908 and dedicated on July 14, 1909 by Bishop O'Gorman of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Repairs to the exterior of the church in 1941 changed the original roofline. The roof had to be extended, thus covering the windows in the clerestory and altering the outward appearance of the structure.
The exterior of the new church is reflective of Romanesque architecture with its heavy walls, jutting geometric angles and curved arches. It stands 168 feet long, 68 feet wide across the front of the church including the twin towers, 70 feet wide in transept.
The interior of the church, while maintaining some classic Romanesque features, also touches on some High Gothic style with its flowing nave to wall elevation. Prior to the remodeling in 1941, this feature in the original design allowed more light to enter the nave through the windows in the clerestory. The center nave and ceiling in the sanctuary measure 43 feet 6 inches in height.
The "New Model Four Quarter Striking Church Tower Clock," with eight six-foot diameter dials was installed as a gift from Alton's generous citizens -- "not for the Church or Parish, but for the town and vicinity of Alton."
The magnificent stained glass windows, imported from Munich, Germany are estimated to be the largest square footage in any one church (about 2,300 square feet) in the United States. Each window depicts a significant period in the life of Jesus.
St. Mary's has had a long history of superior education in this area. The first Parish School was officially opened in 1885 with the construction of the first building in 1886. By 1893 a new building was constructed and six years later, an addition was completed to accommodate growth.
By 1900, the school offered full high school curriculum consisting of eleven grades. Attendance at this time was over 200 and St. Mary's was considered the best educational institution in this part of the state.
From 1907-1962, St. Mary's Academy graduated 683 students from their accredited school system. In 1962, the high school merged with St. Joseph's in Granville and St. Anthony's in Hospers to form Spalding High School. 1964 brought the building of a new grade school in Alton which is still used today by grades four through six on the Spalding Catholic Grade School.
Two of St. Mary's longest running organizations include the Rosary Society and St. Mary's Guild which are both over a century old. Each organization exists today with over two hundred twenty active members who help support the Parish in spiritual and financial ways.
The history of St. Mary's Parish in Alton is one that is written with pride as so much has been accomplished over the years. The church's deep roots in the community have been developed by faith and religious beliefs that continue to grow and mature with the passing of time.