Built 1890 Opened 1890 Added to NRHP 30 May 2006 | NRHP Reference # 06000444 Phone +1 712-255-7694 | |
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Location 600 Court St.
Sioux City, Iowa Address 600 Court St, Sioux City, IA 51105, USA Architectural style Gothic Revival architecture Similar St Thomas Episcopal Church, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox, Badgerow Building, St Boniface Catholic, Warrior Hotel Profiles | ||
Augustana Lutheran Church is an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America congregation located in Sioux City, Iowa, United States. The church building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 as Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Church.
History
The first service for the congregation was held in May 1875. They initially met in a rented schoolhouse located at the corner of Third and Virginia Streets. Pastor P.A. Pihlgren and 17 men and women made up the congregation. They met in the rented building until the end of the year when the first church building for the congregation was completed. The Gothic Revival structure was built of wood at the corner of Fifth and Virginia Streets for $1,400. As the congregation continued to grow plans for the present church were begun in March 1887.
The congregation bought two lots on the corner of Sixth and Court Streets for $7,500. The new church was designed in the Gothic Revival style by Sioux City architect Charles P. Brown. Construction was begun in 1889 and was completed early the following year for $35,000. It was dedicated on February 16, 1890. The building was constructed in brick and the three spires were originally covered in decorative wood shingles.
Initially a pipe organ filled the apse in the chancel. In 1919 the organ was placed in the back of the church and the “Altar of Peace” was built in the apse. The Gothic styled altar was carved by German Prisoners of War from World War I. A new pulpit and communion rail were installed at the same time. The focal point of the altar was a painting of the Resurrection. The painting was replaced by a statue of Christ in 1970. The congregation has had four pipe organs in its history. The first was the Moline Organ that placed in the first church in 1882 and was used until 1887 when the Schuelke organ was installed. It was used in the present church until the Bennett organ was installed as a part of the 1919 renovation. The present Moeller organ was installed in 1958.