St. Joseph German Catholic Church

Possibly one of the most appealing sections of town, the "Old World" look rests largely but not exclusively on the red-brick Romanesque style church built in 1899 to the plans of the Studahar firm of Rock Island, Illinois. Meeting the needs of the large German community, sermons were long conducted in that language; the parish had been established in 1887. One of Topeka's premier landmarks, both the interior and exterior have a restrained elegance. Msgr. Francis Henry, who celebrated St. Joseph's first mass, oversaw construction of the church. Along with Grace Cathedral and First Presbyterian, one of the city's finest.