OLD-TIME RELIGION: TOUR MARKS THE HISTORY OF CHURCHES IN REGION

The same grant money that made Cape Girardeau's Rush Limbaugh tour possible is also giving visitors a look at Southeast Missouri's historic churches.

The Old Time Religion Tour features 15 historic churches situated from Ste. Genevieve to Benton. All the churches are over 150 years old.

Mary Miller, director of Cape Girardeau's Convention and Visitors Bureau, explained that when you market a region for tourists, the best bet is to draw on your natural resources.

"When we looked at our area, we found that we have a number of very significant historical churches," she said.

So the CVB decided to package and market tours of the churches.

It was a lengthy process because so many historic churches are in the area. "We made personal phone calls and personal visits. The local churches agreed to provide a guide for tour groups," she explained.

Most of the churches aren't open to the public for tours. The Old Time Religion tour must be booked through the CVB.

The tour was announced at the same time as the Rush Limbaugh tour. The Limbaugh tour drew national attention.

The religion tour got off to a slower start but is also drawing visitors on a more unassuming scale.

"Anyone can build an amusement park or an entertainment center," Miller said. "You don't just go out and build 175-year-old churches."

The tour has proved popular among baby boomers looking for their roots. The tour also appeals to history and architecture buffs.

"Religion played such an important part in the development of our region," Miller said.

The tour features a variety of denominations including Lutheran, Catholic, Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian.

"We were kind of the cradle of religion west of the Mississippi," Miller said.

And each church has a story to tell.

The Brazeau Presbyterian Church, for example, has preserved evidence that slaves worshipped in the loft.

The Whitewater Presbyterian Church held meetings on the banks of the Whitewater River until the church building was constructed.

Old St. Vincent's Church features intricate stone, brick and woodwork, which was unusual for a Southeast Missouri church built in 1853.

Miller said the tour is designed for two days, with visitors spending the night in Cape Girardeau motels. Hotel and restaurant taxes provided the money for the grant that funded the Old Time Religion tour.

The state grant was a 50-50 match. Missouri's share was almost $2,500, with the city kicking in the other half for a total of nearly $5,000.

CHURCHES FEATURED ON THE OLD-TIME RELIGION TOUR

Trinity Lutheran Church at Friedheim

The church organized between 1830 and 1832, and the first parish was built in 1848. A log parsonage was used as a church and school. When the congregation needed more space, the church was rebuilt using sandstone rocks hauled by oxen. The congregation will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 1998.

St. Mary's of the Barrens

Established in 1818 at Perryville, it is the site of the first seminary in the Louisiana Purchase. The first college incorporated by the state was founded at St. Mary's in 1823. In addition to the church building with its artfully restored interior, the museum houses historic, religious items, including a portion of a Gutenburg Bible printed in the 15th century. It also is site of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, a national center of prayer.

Old St. Vincent's Church

The church, situated in downtown Cape Girardeau facing the Mississippi River, was built in 1853 in the English Gothic Revival style. It contains intricate stone, brick and woodwork that is unusual for the time period and region. In 1977 the church was designated a Chapel of Ease. A religious and cultural center, it is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Old Hanover Lutheran Church

Organized in Cape Girardeau in 1846 by immigrants from the German city of Hanover, its congregation was instrumental in establishing other Lutheran congregations. The early log church was replaced by a more spacious brick building in 1887. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, it is used for community and religious services. The brick schoolhouse next to it houses a museum containing early educational and Lutheran items.

Saxon Lutheran Memorial

In 1839, a large group of Lutherans traveled from Saxony to America in search of a haven for their religious beliefs. An 11-and-a-half-acre site in Frohna was established in memory of them. A log barn contains antique farm equipment and a visitors center provides information about the Lutherans who made their homes in East Perry County.

Ste. Genevieve Catholic Church

Ste. Genevieve is the oldest French settlement west of the Mississippi River. The church, built in 1759, features stained-glass windows and statues and paintings from France. It is the oldest church on the tour.

St. Joseph's Catholic Church

The church at Apple Creek is home to Our Lady of St. Joseph's Shrine. Construction of the church began in 1881, and it was dedicated in 1884. It overlooks a waterfall and grotto.

Brazeau Presbyterian Church

It was founded in 1819. In the loft surrounding the sanctuary, evidence of slaves who worshipped at the church has been preserved.

First Baptist Church of Oak Ridge

The congregation established the church in 1864. The present structure was built in 1906, and features stained-glass windows.

Old McKendree Chapel

The chapel at Jackson is the oldest Protestant church building standing west of the Mississippi River. Built in 1819 from poplar logs, the chapel is situated on the site where church members held camp meetings after organization of the congregation in 1809.

St. Augustine Catholic Church

The church, built at Kelso in 1878, contains stained-glass windows that can be enjoyed inside or out.

St. Lawrence Catholic Church

The church at New Hamburg is the mother church for the Kelso, Chaffee, Oran and Benton Catholic churches. Established and founded in 1847, it sustained major damage during the Civil War. The pillars are made of trees covered with boards.

Whitewater Presbyterian Church

The congregation of the church, organized in 1832, held meetings on the banks of the Whitewater River at Whitewater before a church was built. On the site is a log house built in 1842. The present church was built between 1893 and 1896.

Zion United Methodist Church.

Situated in Old Appleton, the church was founded in 1846. Electricity was installed in 1949, and unusual, blue, opaque windows were installed in 1966. The church contains old German records that have been translated.

Trinity Lutheran Church at Altenburg

Built in 1845, the church is the oldest church building in Perry County. It was used as a church until 1867, and was converted to a school. It operated as a school for 102 years. Now it is a museum featuring artifacts brought from Germany in 1839. It also houses the Liberty Bell, a symbol of the 2.7-million-member Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.