Historic church will be site of fair weddings
By Janet Kubat Willette
jkubat@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 07/22/2010 9:16 AM
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FARIBAULT, Minn. — In 1869, the Episcopalian families in Cannon City pooled their resources and erected a church.
The 25-foot by 40-foot building was not only a church, but also a meeting space and place to hold social events, said Susan Garwood, executive director of the Rice County Historical Society.
It was the social hub of the community in a time before radio, television, movie theaters and computers. It was the place to go. The place to meet people.
Consecrated as the Holy Innocents Episcopal Church on June 24, 1871, by Bishop Whipple, the church served its role in Cannon City until 1944 when the last public worship was held in the space.
In 1959, the Rice County Agricultural Society moved the building about seven miles to its new home on the county fairgrounds. In 1971, 100 years after it was consecrated, it was opened to the public.
The Holy Innocents Church is tended by the Rice County Historical Society along with several other buildings and a museum that contain pieces of the county's past.
Furnished almost exclusively with original items, the Holy Innocents Church has 20 pews, 10 on either side, with seating for a hundred. The chancel has two chairs, one for the preacher and one for the bishop should he stop by.
The kneelers and the pews aren't padded and spaces exist between the floorboards. It was all very practical, Garwood explains. They didn't have vacuums when the church was built. The spaces between the floorboards allowed heat to rise from the boiler below the church. Also, the eight big, beautiful windows stretching about five feet tall allowed in light in a time before electricity. The windows are protected by shutters.
The wallpaper on the walls was a luxury, but it also provided insulation, Garwood said.
Kerosene lanterns are on the sides and an electric chandelier in the middle of the church. The chandelier came from a church in Mora. Electricity was brought to the church after it was moved to the fairgrounds, Garwood said.
The stained glass window was donated by a woman in memory of her infant daughter who didn't survive the voyage to America.
The banners and altar cloth are original and are only kept in the church when it is being used, Garwood said. There is neither heating nor cooling in the church.
The Rice County Historical Society Fair Committee came up with the idea of hosting fair weddings, Garwood said. The committee continuously seeks creative ways to bring the historical end of the fairgrounds alive during the county fair.
As a historian working at a museum, Garwood said she's always looking for ways to interpret history, to make it come alive for the public.
"Everybody understands weddings, it's a way to interpret this church … a way to use this church," she said.
The historical society will host up to four weddings or vow renewals on July 24, the Saturday of the Rice County Fair. The officiant is Jan Stevens or couples may use their own. The working pump organ that came with the church is played by a volunteer who is an organist at a church in Faribault. Couples may also take advantage of a convertible cruise around the Rice County fairgrounds and Faribault following the ceremony. The trip is provided by Wayne Eddy.
"Historically speaking, it feels really appropriate to be celebrating a fun event at a fun time in this space," Garwood said. "In truth, when it comes time to doing the weddings, it's just fun."