Fritz Chapel

Fritz Chapel
LocationSpruce Creek Rd. west of its junction with U.S. Route 52
Nearest cityBellevue, Iowa
Coordinates42°17′41″N 90°29′34″W / 42.29472°N 90.49278°W / 42.29472; -90.49278
Arealess than one acre
Built1852
Built byMathias Fritz
Architectural styleVernacular
MPSLimestone Architecture of Jackson County MPS
NRHP reference No.91001067
Added to NRHPAugust 30, 1991

Fritz Chapel is a historic religious structure located northwest of Bellevue, Iowa, United States. The small roadside chapel was built by Mathias Fritz (1819-1889) in 1852. Fritz immigrated with his family to the United States from Luxembourg that same year. He built this chapel as an act of thanksgiving for the safe journey. The roughly 8-by-7-foot (2.4 by 2.1 m) structure has limestone walls on three sides and is open on the front. It is capped with a gable roof. The walls inside the chapel are plastered, and it houses a small stone altar and a hand-carved crucifix. Located on the north side of a gravel road, it is surrounded by a picket fence. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

References

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ Molly Meyers Naumann. "Fritz Chapel". National Park Service. Retrieved June 28, 2016. with five photos from 1990-1991