INFORMATION ABOUT OLD ST. PETER'S LANDMARK
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Built in 1897 and
dedicated March 17, 1898, this former Catholic Church was saved from
demolition in 1971, and is now owned and managed by the Old St.
Peter's Landmark Preservation, Inc.
The gothic,
red brick church is 120 feet in length and is 40 feet wide.
The steeple
rises 176 feet in the air, topped by a 6 foot weathervane rooster
crafted by Frank S. Gunning. The weathervane turns on bearings which
have never needed repairs or replacement. Mr. Gunning's daughter was
the very first to give a donation to help save the Landmark.
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Early land descriptions recorded in the Wasco County Court House show that
surveyors used the steeple as an identifying point or
benchmark. Steamboat captains used the steeple as a navigational
tool on the Columbia River. Tenneson Engineering surveyors continue
to use the steeple as a benchmark today.
The roof was
galvanized iron Spanish tile. After nearly 100 years of protecting
the building, the roof was replaced in 1995 by tile designed
in Canada to closely match the original.
Lion Heads
watch from the downspouts of the steeple.
Viewed from the
west side, three crosses can be seen on the roof.
In the vestibule is
the belfry rope, connected to a 533 pound bell.
| The interior of the
building contains six rose windows and 34 stained glass windows
made by Povey Brothers of Portland, Oregon. The cherubs were
designed to portray the daughters of the one of the Povey Brothers.
Most windows were given in memory of pioneer families.
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The Kilgen Pipe
Organ, made of rare tigerwood, with twenty-six visible pipes,
was installed in 1925. It is still used in weddings today.
The innermost
portion of the church was painted in 1954-55 by Theodore Braash,
a renowned German artist.
The ceiling
of stamped metal is approximately 40 feet at its highest point.
Leaf/Ivy patterns
in wood trim and pearl trim on back of the pews were
created by a steam press on the wood.
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The serene, lovely Madonna
was carved from the keel of a sailing ship that sank off the coast
of San Francisco in the early 1850's. The statue was a gift from two
families in memory of a relative saved from the shipwreck. |
The railings and
altars were made in Italy from carrara marble and were installed
by artisans from Italy.
The collapsible
pump organ is circa 1880 and was donated in the fall of 1989 by
Katie Fleck Kortge. The organ was given to Katie in 1916 for use in
her school classes. The collapsible pump organ was originally used
by Father Bronsgeest as he traveled from parish to parish, including
The Dalles and outlying areas. This organ was the first to be used
at St. Peter's.
Maximum seating capacity for the building is 225. No seating is allowed in the balcony.
St. Peter’s Landmark is handicap-accessible and air-conditioned.
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