History of St. Matthew's in Iowa Falls

The presence of the Episcopal Church in Iowa Falls, dates to 1885 when Mrs. Clarissa Roper, a member of one of the pioneer families, organized an Episcopal meeting and service in her home presided over by a clergyman from Waterloo, Iowa.  By 1900, the congregation had grown and prospered which enabled them to purchase land beside the river and next to a new bridge that spanned that river.  After sending one of its recent immigrant members back to England to research and sketch village churches, it completed a building based upon that research in 1913.  This edifice, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has sheltered the members of the congregation as they have worshiped and been a beneficial influence on the community at large.  The church building has a nave that seats around seventy five people, and an undercroft with a fellowship hall, kitchen, two Sunday school rooms, and an office for the rector.  Outside is a balcony overlooking the river with a columbarium on the east end of the church and a landscaped terraced garden on the west end.