| ST. JOHNS UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH Seventy-Six Township Muscatine County, Iowa
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH and CEMETERY AS RECORDED |
THE RE-BUILDING OF THE CHURCH Pg. 191
Oct 1, 1894 - Five members of the building committee met at the residence of J. J. Legler’s pursuant to call (Mr. J.S. Riggs, & Mr. Jno Weaver as members of said committee being absent) to consider & such plans for the rebuilding of a new Church as said committee deemed practicable & decided as follows:
A motion was made & carried that we adopt whit is known as the bowling floor in the new church which was carried.
It was decided that we have a panel ceiling.
The spire known as the Octagon Spire with square belfry was discussed being 66 feet in height from the church foundation to top of spire. Carried.
Straight grained quarter sawed yellow pine was suggested & adopted for flooring.
It was decided that cedar shingles be used in roofing said church with 140 feet of 14 inch balleys & 4 in down spout.All those interested in the basement met Oct. 8, 1894. in accordance with a motion made & carried on Oct. 7, ’94, that all those interested in the Church under contemplation meet at the residence of J.S. Riggs to decide as to whether or not a basement be placed under the church for such purposed & entertainments as those interested in the Church might deem proper.
Pg. 192
The Chariman R. J. Altekruse called the meeting to order where a motion was made that those absent but interested in said work be allowed to vote by proxy. Not carried.A motion was made & carried for a general expression in regard to the work under consideration with a view to create a more intelligent & harmonious attitude before voting on said basement.
After discussion the question at length a motion was made & carried for a vote to decide whether or not it be build and considered a Social basement & for such purposes as the proper persons might deem as belonging & coming within the province of a church. Carried – result of vote 12 in favor 7 against. D. Legler Sectry.
Oct 15, 1894 - The building committee referred to in previous minutes met pursuant to agreement at Mr. Jno Weaver’s to perfect unfinished business before submitting specifications to contractors for bids on building under contemplation.
The chairman called meeting to order.
The specifications as far as completed were ordered read by secretary for the committee to ascertain if any & what changes might be required or practicable.Continued on Pg. 193
A motion was made & carried that the brick wall be raised on a level all around to whatever height the committee might see fit allowing the contractor to figure on the mason work by the foot for the to be done.
It was decided that the front door be of oak material which the majority of the committee saw fit to have changed to a pine door after considering with the contractors & advised to do so.
It was decided to have the Gothic window kind of seats as those used in the Muscatine Congregational Church.
A motion was made and carried that all materials entering in the construction of said church (seats above referred to included) be purchased by the contractor, the Committee to deliver all necessary material on the ground.
It was decided that the contractor getting the work was to secure his own board.
It was decided to submit specification to only those whom we desired to build the church decided as follows, Mrers Kinkaid & McGown, Ja’s Selden, Jo’s Neynheus & V. Shellabarger the lowest sealed bid of said four firms to receive the contract. The Church to be ready for dedication within five weeks from the time the decision of contract is made.
D Legler SecretaryContinued on Pg. 174
According to the decision of the previous meeting the members of the committee met with the contractors to whom specifications were submitted for bid to ascertain who was entitled to the contract of building the church in question.Mrs. W. Shellabarger of Letts one of said contractors before mentioned as to whom said specification were submitted being absent for reasons unknown to committee also sent no bid. Committee decided to recognize the lowest bid of the three firms present. Mssers Kinkaid & McGown of Muscatine being the lowest bidders were awarded the contract.
The bids of the three firms present were as follows: Joas Selden $4,537.00, Jos Neynheus $1533.00. Kinkaid & McGown $1517.00. Said bids were according to specifications with the exception of the seats as decided by Church Committee previous to opening bids such change being made necessary owning to the limited time to figure on said work & asked for agreed to all contractors present with the understanding that the firm getting the work was to furnish or assist the committee in securing the seats as cheap as possible & putting them in at cash being independent of the contract.
Pgs. 175-177 - Work & Money appropriated on Church basement
Individual labor 22 dys & work on one team horses 6 1/2 days Bill of Brunner Bros for plastering ceiling of basement $26.00
$26.00Bill of Mr Dean for putting in the brick wall around basement $21.65 Total am’t of Contract for church with Kinkaid & McGown of Muscatine $1,517.95 Bill of Thompson Bros of Muscatine for furnace $77.00 Bill of Witttich for furniture $78.25 Bill of Selby & Wms of Muscatine for Funrnishings: 112 ½ yds carpet $60.71;
paper $2.00; laying carpet $9.75}$72.50 Bill of Smidt Bros of Muscatine for church organ & stool $71.00 & Bible $6.00} $77.00 Bill of F. Geisler for one step ladder $1.25 Bill of Geo Dilaway for 2 large lamps & one bracket lamp $10.75 Bill of N.W. Stiles for building walks & Stiles S. $7.00 Amt of Lumber donated by Hershey Lumber Co. for building Walks & Stiles $14.00 Lamp rods furnished by R.J. Altekruse $0.95 Bill of D. Legler for posts brick $2.00 Subtotal $1,858.65 Work on basement $87.15 Total $1,945.80
Page created August 22, 2010 by Lynn McCleary