St. Boniface Catholic Church (Westphalia, Iowa)

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Saint Boniface Catholic Church District
St. Boniface Catholic Church (Westphalia, Iowa) is located in Iowa
St. Boniface Catholic Church (Westphalia, Iowa)
Location Three blocks north of County Road F32, Westphalia, Iowa
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Area 13.1 acres (5.3 ha)
Built 1882
MPS Ethnic Historic Settlement of Shelby and Audubon Counties MPS
NRHP Reference # 91001449[1]

Saint Boniface Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Des Moines. The church is located in Westphalia, Iowa, United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Saint Boniface Catholic Church District. The historical district includes the church, rectory, cemetery, school, Our Lady of Grace Shrine, St. Isadore Shrine, baseball diamond, clubhouse, and First Fruits (corn crib).[2]

Description

The area that is now Westphalia was settled by German Catholics in the 1870s.[2] The community’s founder, Herman Schwarte, envisioned a peaceful village where Germans could work the land, be self-sufficient and help one another. The community would be centered on their own church, and it remains a parish community.[2] The Emil Flusche home was the location of the first Catholic Mass.[2] The home was later moved behind St. Boniface Church.

St. Boniface Church was built from 1881-82. The workers baked their own bricks to build the church and forged the first of two 2.5 ton bells.[2] Since 1882 the parish has hosted a Fourth of July celebration.

References

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  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links