Built St. Louis
The Beauty of Modernism

St. Peter Catholic Church
243 West Argonne Drive, Kirkwood - west County
Architect: Joseph Murphy
Date: 1951

The second of three Modernist Catholic churches designed by Murphy's hand, St. Peter is the least conspicuous of the three from the outside. The already-unassuming front elevation was partially enclosed with a larger foyer in 2003, in a contemporary style sympathetic to the main building.

The sanctuary remains a startling and dramatic space, richly red brick walls divided by tall, narrow stained glass windows marching in cadence the length of the room. The apse is a semi-circle surmounted by a clerestoried dome, casting a circle of natural light onto the altar. The bulk of the stained glass is in Deco-influenced forms.

Kirkwood's St. Peter parish dates back to 1832, older than the town itself.