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St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Cedar
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| Location: | 4 miles west of Churdan, Iowa on E. 19, 0.5 miles north on a gravel road |
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| Built: | 1915 |
| Architect: | William LeBarthe Steele C.F Mayer & Co. |
| Architectural style: | Romanesque Revival |
| Governing body: | Private |
| NRHP Reference#: | 92000840 [1] |
| Added to NRHP: | July 10, 1992 |
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Cedar is a former parish of the Diocese of Sioux City. The church is located west of Churdan, Iowa, United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been reduced in status to an oratory.
The Cedar Creek area of Greene County, Iowa was settled by Irish Catholics in the 1850s.[2] Father Marsh from Fort Dodge said the first Mass in June 1863 in the home of Myles Fitzpatrick. Other missionary priests who served the area included Fathers Delaney, Concannon, Barry, McGrath, Mulvehill, O'Farrell, and Quirk. Fitzpatrick donated five acres of land for a church in 1872, and the lumber to build the building. It was the first Catholic church in Greene County.[2] The white frame building with a bell tower was built by L. Isaac Ritchie. The first pastor assigned to the parish was the Rev. George Costello, who was pastor at St. Patrick’s Lohrville at the same time. The parish was founded in the Diocese of Dubuque and became a part of the Diocese of Sioux City when it was established in 1902.
A new church was built in 1915 in the Romanesque Revival style. The building was designed by William LeBarthe Steele and built by C. F. Mayer of Humboldt. It was constructed of matt-faced brick and stone at a cost of $24,000.00.[2] It was dedicated by Bishop Philip J. Garrigan of Sioux City, on November 7, 1915. Four years later on Sunday, June 15, 1919, the building caught fire and was reduced to a brick shell. In the years following it was rebuilt using the old foundation and walls.
The Great Depression was a difficult time for the parish. It owed the American Savings Bank in Carroll $2,383.99.[2] The church property was put into receivership on September 6, 1934. Dennis Hayes bought the property in a public sale, the note was paid on July 6, 1936 and the property was returned to the parish.
The church building started to deteriorate in the 1970s and 80s and it was extensively renovated. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. St. Patrick’s was part of the first parish cluster in the Sioux City diocese[2] in 1988 when it was clustered with St. Columbkille's, St. John's Paton and St. Bridget's Grand Junction. In 1995 the cluster was changed to include St. Patrick’s and St. Columbkille's as before and St. Paul's Scranton. In August 1996 the parish was reduced in status to an oratory.
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