As October ended, the sidewalls of a 27-ton
dome were being lifted up atop the structure that is now going by the name of
the “Community Cultural Center,” but which most in the community still refer
to as “the church.”
Until August 1995, it was historic All Saints
Catholic Church, once voted “most beautiful church in
The parish council of All Saints, with
direction from the Catholic Diocese of Des Moines, soon built a new church
building on the east edge of town.
But the community was without its landmark.
The 90-foot-high dome, which had been so apparent to people in the 21,000
vehicles passing the community each day on Interstate Highway 80, was gone.
However, a heroic community effort took
root.
“After the fire, when it began looking like
the Catholic Diocese was not going to restore All Saints and instead build the
new church, my late mother Irene Doherty started insisting that, ‘Something
has to be done, something has to be done!’” said Dick Doherty, of Stuart.
“A group of us started meeting once a week at her house—once a week for five
years—to discuss plans about what we could possibly do.”
The Dohertys, Vitzthums, Smulls and others
turned that effort into the Project Restore Foundation, and Dick Doherty has
served ever since as its president. First they bought the ruins and property
from the diocese for $8,700.
Then they went on a campaign that has raised
$2.5 million to rebuild and renovate the structure as a performing arts hall, a
convention center and a “wedding destination” capable of hosting big
weddings and receptions. They dream of having their own Stuart concert series,
with a varied line-up of professional and amateur entertainers. There will be up
to 345 seats available for stage performances, and up to 192 for banquets. Their
business plan projects at least 10,000 people per year attending events in the
facility, and its economic impact on the area is expected to grow from about $2
million per year.
Project Restore is working with architects
Kirk Blunk and Jeff Wagner of HLKB Architecture in
“We hope to open in the fall of 2009, with
several days of special events,” said Doherty, now 63, who is retired from a
management position at the Principal Financial Group in
What made it such an attraction was its grand
scale and unusual design.
The church always seemed oversized for “Home
of 1,700 Good Eggs and a Few Stinkers,” as Stuart has long billed itself. But
the congregation came from around the area, too. More remarkable was the rare
Byzantine architectural style that the original designers, who were from
Yes, it was that grand.
Charles Willard of
Doherty said during the clean-up and
reconstruction, there have been three key moments so far.
One was in 2002-2003 when they re-opened what
is now known as “Historic All Saints Chapel” on the northwest corner of the
building and the former sacristy on the southwest corner. The chapel, which was
originally used for smaller masses and individual prayer, is now available for
small weddings and other gatherings. The former sacristy, where priests and
acolytes would robe before mass, is now used as a presentation center and tour
starting point.
Then in November 2007, voters in Stuart gave
63 percent approval to the issuance of $1.7 million in municipal bonds to help
pay for the reconstruction. That has been pooled with an earlier $545,000 grant
from the Vision Iowa Program. And USDA Rural Development has recently announced
$400,000 in grants and loans to Stuart entities to facilitate the project.
The other moment that has stirred local people was the construction during this
September and October of the 33-foot-high sidewalls of the dome, built in full
public view on a platform right at the base of the building. The sidewalls, 34
feet in diameter, were to be lifted atop the structure in late October. The
actual dome top will likely be added in December. A composition of fiberglass,
concrete and steel will then be applied to it to replicate the original
appearance.
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