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Davenport’s Altar Crawl returns for its third year on May 3rd Special Attraction This Year Is – Christ The King Chapel on St Ambrose University

Five churches and St Ambrose University Christ The King Chapel will be hosting the third annual Altar Crawl on Sunday, May 3rd, opening their doors to visitors for free tours and organ music. Hours are 1-5 PM. Participating churches include: Bethel A.M.E., Christ The King Chapel, First Baptist, First Christian St. John’s United Methodist, and Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

May is designated as Preservation Month by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. All of these churches are home to some of Davenport’s earliest communities of faith, tracing their roots to the city’s beginnings. Many of the participating churches worship in structures individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places, designed by master architects from Davenport, Chicago and New York. In 2014, First Baptist, First Christian, and First Presbyterian celebrated their 175th anniversary of the founding of their congregations.

Not content to rest on their historic foundations, these congregations continue to give back by hosting many social programs. All are members of P.U.N.C.H. (People Uniting Neighbors and Churches) which, along with Hilltop Campus Village is sponsoring the event. “Our hilltop churches have worked hard to develop a unique partnership with each other through P.U.N.C.H. and with Hilltop Campus Village to benefit the people we serve,” said Ralph Kelly, President of P.U.N.C.H. “The Altar Crawl is an example of that collaboration and a unique opportunity for visitors to enjoy the beautiful legacy of those who came before us.”

On May 3rd, participating churches will provide a variety of activities, from behind-the-scenes tours to special concerts. Visitors may begin their tour at any participating church, A tour brochure with map and more information will be available at all locations or can be downloaded at the Hilltop Campus Village website beginning May 1st.

Davenport Altar Crawl is sponsored by:
Hilltop Campus Village: An Iowa Main Street Community located in Davenport, Iowa. Its goals include creation of a revitalized, mixed-use neighborhood that is family friendly, clean and safe, alive with activities and excitement, and retention of a diverse population living and working in the established district.

P.U.N.C.H. (People Uniting Neighbors and Churches): Formed in 2004 by the churches in the Brady Hill neighborhood of Davenport, its goal is to make the neighborhood a better place to work, worship and live in.

Davenport Altar Crawl
Participating Churches and History of their Congregations:

Bethel A.M.E. Church, 323 W. 11th Street*
Bethel A.M.E. traces its roots to its founding in 1866 when four men came together to organize
the first African American congregation in Davenport. The stucco and half-timbered building, designed by the noted Davenport architectural firm of Clausen and Clausen, has been in service since 1908. The interior features a barrel vaulting over the nave and a domed apse behind the altar; the stained glass windows were donated by members of the congregation. Tour visitors will visit all areas of the church building.

First Baptist Church, 1401 Perry Street*
The cornerstone of the present church building was laid in 1889 during the 50th anniversary of the founding of the congregation. Then called “Calvary Baptist,” the sanctuary was designed in the Romanesque Revival style by John S. Wollacott of Chicago. Wells Glass Company of Chicago created the stained glass windows. The congregation, celebrated 175 years in 2014, is the oldest continuously meeting Protestant congregation in Davenport. During the tour there will be historical items on display and refreshments available in Fellowship Hall.

First Christian Church, 510 E. 15th Street
With its current building constructed in 1964, this congregation is celebrating its 175th year in Davenport. First Christian is affiliated with the Christian Church, also known as the Disciples of Christ. The Christian Church is a denomination that grew out of the Scottish Presbyterian Church and is recognized as having its roots in the United States. The tour will feature music, visits to the sanctuary, prayer chapel, fellowship hall and gymnasium as well as an historical display and refreshments..

First Presbyterian Church,* 1702 Iowa St.– Built 1897-98 in the classic Romanesque style, First Presbyterian’s sanctuary was designed by the Galesburg architectural firm of Gottschalk & Beadle who designed a nearly identical church on Galesburg Square that was completed one year prior. Its stained glass windows are by J and R Lamb Studios of New York City. The founding congregation met in April, 1838, in a small building on Ripley Street with 10 members. During the past 175 years, the congregation has worshiped at five different locations and built three churches. Altar crawl visitors are invited to tour the sanctuary, balcony, chapel and elaborately decorated original pastor’s study, as well as enjoy an organ demonstration and refreshments in the Fellowship Hall.

St. John’s United Methodist Church, 109 E. 14th St.*- The cornerstone for today’s church was laid in 1902, and services began there in 1903. It was designed by Parke T. Burrows with F. G. Clausen serving as the supervising engineer. Davenport Methodists trace their beginnings to a small congregation in Rockingham, a settlement located on Davenport’s southwest side. The first services in Davenport began in 1837, and the first Methodist church was erected in 1843. During the 19th Century, several Methodist congregations formed and additional buildings erected. Two churches came together to form the congregation that dedicated St. John’s in 1903. Highlights of the May 19th tour include the sanctuary, a conference/history room, the downstairs of the former parsonage, plus refreshments at The Center, located across 14th Street and home to the popular “Skate Church” and many other community activities.

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 121 W. 12th St.*- Built 1867-1873, this Gothic-style church is the oldest on the tour and was consecrated as Grace Cathedral. It was the first cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa. It was designed by Edward Tuckerman Potter of New York City, one of the leading church architects of his time. The first Episcopal parish was established in 1841. Its first church was a small frame building erected at Fourth and Main Streets, with a crude altar, plank benches and a round stove in the nave; a second church, destroyed by fire in 1873, featured the first pipe organ in Iowa. Congregations from the old Trinity Episcopal Parish and Grace Cathedral merged in 1910 to form Trinity Cathedral. Visitors will tour the sanctuary and rarely opened original sacristy.

* Individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Sponsored by:

Hilltop Campus Village: An Iowa Main Street Community located in Davenport, Iowa. Its goals include creation of a revitalized, mixed-use neighborhood that is family friendly, clean and safe, alive with activities and excitement, and retention of a diverse population living and working in the established district.

P.U.N.C.H. (People Uniting Neighbors and Churches): Formed in 2004 by the churches in the Brady Hill neighborhood of Davenport, its goal is to make the neighborhood a better place to work, worship and live in.