St. Joseph Catholic Church Bell Tower - Westphalia, Missouri - Bell Towers on Waymarking.com

County of church: Osage County
Location of church: Main St. @ Mill St., Westphalia
Phone: (573) 455-2320
Built: 1848
Architect: Supervised by Jesuits
Architectural Style: Romanesque-Gothic

"The northeast end of the church is dominated by a central square tower with belfry and spire. The main entrance is centrally located at the first floor level of the tower's northeast wall and is surmounted by a stone tympanum and a semi-circular arch supported by two stone columns with high bases and cushions. Above the arch is a round hood-mould, the keystone of which is enlarged to serve as a pedestal for a statue of the church's patron saint. Directly above the entrance at the second story is a semi-circular arch enclosing two long, narrow stained-glass windows.

"Rising above the tower is a square belfry containing four bells made for the church in St. Louis in 1883% A1 large, round arch filled with wood en louvers penetrates- each of the belfry's four sides. A wooden spire covered with asbestos shingles 1 and-crowned-with a gold cross terminates the steeple.

"To each side of the tower is a projection of the narthex. The narthex's northeast wall has three round-arched windows with stained-glass and wooden tracery. This window motif is repeated on the northwest and south east sides. The four corners of the narthex are strengthened by square buttresses topped by hexagonal pinnacles.

"In 1883, the tower was added. The belfry contains four bells, the largest being 64" in diameter. The date 1883 is cast as part of the inscription on the bells. These bells were made in St. Louis by J.G. Stuckstede and Brothers.

"An extensive remodeling project was carried out in 1905:
  The magnificent rock structure of the church was changed and enlarged in 1905 by Father Francis Anton Deipenbrock.
  The plain cream walls were replaced by murals. The dark, groined Gothic arches and the pulpit became Rococo and
  colorful. The old yellow and purple windows are now magnificent stained art glass depicting various Saints.

"Evidence that the masonry portion of the tower antedates the raising of the clerestory roof is to be found in the finished masonry work on the nave side of the tower, at a level below the present ceiling line. Even the wood louvers of the belfry opening are still extant below the roof. This confirms the opinion that the final stage of construction was the addition of the clerestory in 1905. Work of this period includes the installation of the interior columns, the clerestory of wood studs and metal facing, and the new roof constructed of light wood framing." ~ NRHP Nomination Form [link below]