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Photograph of Basilica of St. John, Des Moines
Photograph by Jbpo at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Saint John's Roman Catholic Church

Built in 1927 (Romanesque Revival architecture). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

From the record

“John is a Minor Basilica of the Catholic Church in the Drake neighborhood of Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It is also a parish church in the Diocese of Des Moines.”

Wikipedia article Basilica of St. John (Des Moines, Iowa), CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 208 National Register listings published here for Polk County · listed in 1987 · category: Building · built in 1927, Romanesque Revival architecture, by Maginnis & Walsh.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service · the Wikipedia article

The listing

  • What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
  • Address. 1915 University Ave., Des Moines, 50314
  • When was it listed? September 1987
  • Category. building
  • Township. Des Moines township
  • When was it built? 1927
  • Architectural style. Romanesque Revival architecture
  • Architect. Maginnis & Walsh
  • National Register reference number. 87001497 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Fires near this property

7 since 2006

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 7 fires within 5 miles of Saint John's Roman Catholic Church between 2006 and 2015, burning about 32 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined7

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
4 April 2015Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
4 April 2009Missing data/not specified/undetermined6.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
16 April 2009Missing data/not specified/undetermined5.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
20 February 2009Missing data/not specified/undetermined20 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
1 February 2006Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
24 November 2008Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
13 January 2006Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

Every fire recorded in Polk County

Mines and quarries near this property

10 of 12 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 12 workings within 5 miles of Saint John's Roman Catholic Church: 7 past producers, 5 producers. 5 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Clay, Flagstone. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Capitol Hill Sandstone QuarryFlagstonePast Producer
Can-Tex Industries West PitClayProducer
Goodwin Brick and Tile Co. Clay PitClayPast Producer
Iowa Clay Pipe Co. PitClayPast Producer
Marquette Cement PlantStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Penn-Dixie Cement PlantStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
West Des Moines Plant #8Stone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Johnston Pit & PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Se 22nd St. PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer

Every working recorded in Polk County

Storms near this property

60 of 348 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Des Moines, the town this property stands in, in 348 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 131 hail, 101 thunderstorm wind, 52 flood, 30 flash flood. The reports record 2 deaths and 48 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
February 1997Flash FloodDes Moines1 killed, $30,000no account filed
June 2014Thunderstorm WindDes Moines1 killed, $1,000Thunderstorm winds blew down a large tree branch. A homeless individual died when a the branch fell on him at a homeless settlement along the banks of the Raccoon River east of Fluer Blvd.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindDes Moines40 hurt, $40,000,000no account filed
May 2004Dust DevilDes Moines5 hurtno account filed
September 2001Tornado (F1)West Des Moines1 hurt, $500,000Tornado touched down on southwest edge of West Des Moines at the Glen Oaks Golf Club and swept into an apartment complex. Track was intermittent following the destruction of a garage unit there.
March 2007LightningDes Moines1 hurtno account filed
August 2004LightningWest Des Moines1 hurtno account filed
June 2001HailWest Des Moines$9,500,000no account filed
June 2008Flash FloodDes Moines$7,000,000no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindDes Moines$4,000,000no account filed
August 2002Thunderstorm WindDes Moines$2,500,000no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindWest Des Moines$2,000,000no account filed
June 1998Flash FloodDes Moines$1,000,000no account filed
July 2010FloodDes Moines$500,000no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindDes Moines$500,000no account filed
May 2022LightningDes Moines$400,000At 201 Grand Avenue, three condos suffered major damage and a fourth had minor damage from a fire believed to have been started by lightning according to firefighters. Time estimated using lightning data.
May 1996Flash FloodDes Moines$300,000no account filed
October 2019HailDes Moines$250,000Public reported baseball sized hail via picture from social media.
June 2015FloodDes Moines$250,000The river crested at 16.21 feet at 3:30 PM CST on 16 June.
June 2015FloodDes Moines$250,000The Raccoon River at Des Moines Fleur Drive crested at 21.54 feet at 3:30 PM CST on 26 June.
July 2015FloodDes Moines$250,000The Raccoon River at Fleur Drive Des Moines crested at 12.83 feet at 5:15 PM CDT on 29 July.
June 2010FloodDes Moines$250,000no account filed
April 2007FloodDes Moines$250,000no account filed
June 2001HailWest Des Moines$250,000no account filed
June 2008FloodDes Moines$200,000One foot of water at Northwest 6th Drive between 49th and 51st.
June 2001HailWest Des Moines$200,000no account filed
July 1997Flash FloodDes Moines$200,000no account filed
May 1996FloodDes Moines$200,000no account filed
September 2014FloodDes Moines$150,000no account filed
May 2013FloodDes Moines$150,000no account filed
July 1998Flash FloodDes Moines$150,000no account filed
May 2019FloodDes Moines$100,000The Raccoon River at Des Moines Fleur Drive crested twice at 16.86 feet on 25 May 2019 at 06:30 UTC and at 17.42 feet on 29 May 2019 at 15:00 UTC.
June 2018Flash FloodWest Des Moines$100,000Public reported that 63rd and Grand near West Des Moines was underwater. Water rescues were performed at this location as well.
December 2015FloodDes Moines$100,000The Raccoon River crested at 17.72 feet on 15 December 2015 at 23:30 UTC.
September 2013Thunderstorm WindDes Moines$100,000Winds estimated at 65 MPH.
April 2012Thunderstorm WindWest Des Moines$100,000Most of the roof torn away on a commercial building.
April 2012Thunderstorm WindDes Moines$100,000Large trees down near 18th and Woodland in the Sherman Hoyt area. Significant tree damage.
August 2010Flash FloodDes Moines$100,000Evacuations taking place from 3325 Hubble Ave at an apartment complex to 3560 Douglas Ave near a trailer Park in east Des Moines.
May 2000Tornado (F1)Des Moines$100,000Intermittent path
September 2014FloodDes Moines$100,000no account filed
March 2010FloodDes Moines$100,000no account filed
August 2010FloodDes Moines$100,000no account filed
May 2004Flash FloodDes Moines$100,000no account filed
August 2002Thunderstorm WindDes Moines$100,000no account filed
August 2002Thunderstorm WindDes Moines$100,000no account filed
August 2002Thunderstorm WindWest Des Moines$100,000no account filed
February 1997Flash FloodDes Moines$100,000no account filed
June 2019Flash FloodDes Moines$75,000Law enforcement reported 5 vehicles stranded and assistance needed to get people out of the water.
August 2010Flash FloodWest Des Moines$75,000Public Works Department in Des Moines and West Des Moines reports water over the road at Grand and 61st.
July 2009HailDes Moines$75,000Hail reported at the intersection of 2nd Ave and Euclid in the Highland Park area.
October 2007Tornado (EF1)Des Moines$75,000A tornado took down power lines and power poles were snapped at 13th Street and Mulberry. The public reported a flipped car at SW 6th Street and Mulberry.
May 2014HailWest Des Moines$75,000no account filed
May 2004Flash FloodWest Des Moines$75,000no account filed
May 2004Flash FloodDes Moines$75,000no account filed
June 1998FloodDes Moines$75,000no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindWest Des Moines$75,000no account filed
October 2018FloodDes Moines$50,000The Raccoon River at Des Moines at Fleur Drive crested twice, the first crest at 15.13 ft on 11 October 2018 at 02:30 UTC, the second crest at 15.06 ft on 13 October 2018 at 09:45 UTC.
May 2016FloodDes Moines$50,000The Raccoon River at Fleur Drive in Des Moines crested at 4:30 pm CDT on 1 May 2016 at 13.67 feet.
September 2015FloodDes Moines$50,000The Raccoon River at Des Moines Fleur Drive crested at 13.08 feet on 9 September 2015 at 10:45 pm CDT.
April 2012Thunderstorm WindDes Moines$50,000South wind of 65 MPH was measured at the Blank Park Zoo.

Every storm recorded in Polk County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Photograph PropertyDistance Listed
F. A. Benham House0.1 miles1998
Sherman Hill Historic District (Boundary Increase and Decrease)0.1 miles2012
Sherman Hill Historic District0.2 miles1979
Maish House0.2 miles1977
Lexington, The0.2 miles1976
Henry Wallace House0.2 miles1993

Sources for this property

National Archives recordThe nomination case file for reference 87001497 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia articleCommunity-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Polk CountyAll 208 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

  • Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
  • Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
  • How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.