Afternoon sunlight streams through the windows, illuminating rows of curved, wooden pews. An antique reed organ – still intact and operational – sits on the stage a few feet behind a wooden pulpit. Photos from years gone by decorate the walls. This is Coal Ridge Community Church and Museum in Knoxville. 

This quaint, rustic church sits near Whitebreast on the south side of Lake Red Rock in Pella Cooperative Electric’s service territory. Sitting at the corner of S71 and Inwood Drive, Coal Ridge Church’s white steeple and lovely structure graces the countryside. Its history dates back to 1852 when the church was founded in the long-ago town called Coalport. 

Sitting along the Des Moines River was Coalport, incorporated in 1857. In the mid-1800s, settlers from other states came to the area to work in the local coal mine. The town also had a general store, school, and pottery mill. The one-room schoolhouse served as the meeting place for church until the community built Coal Ridge Church in 1860 – at a cost of $600.00. 

Then the flood of 1903 came and the result was devastating to Coalport. The Des Moines River waterway now no longer ran by the small town of Coalport, and the settlement dissolved. Only Coal Ridge Church and the one-room schoolhouse remained. 

Disaster struck again when in 1908 the church burned to the ground. Although Coalport was no longer in existence, the local residents in the area valued their church. They rebuilt immediately and the new building stood finished in 1909. 

The cost totaled $1,625.00. The construction of the church holds timbers from locally harvested trees, installed by local craftsmen. The careful design of the interior provides wonderful acoustics for the piano and pump organ. 

The church’s structure from 1909 still stands today. The church has not had an active congregation in many years, but many families of the original congregation, such as the Franklin and Kuyper/Folkerts families, have dedicated time and resources to keep the building maintained. The Coal Ridge Ladies’ Aid group has worked for many years to open the church’s doors every summer for worship on Sunday.

PCEA member and local area resident Eunice Kuyper Folkerts was a member of the Ladies’ Aid while it existed and still remembers her first visit to the group in 1970 at Fern Franklin’s home where they worked on mending, prayed, read the bible together, and had lunch. 

“Fern prayed for the neighborhood, the church, her family and for all the people in the world in the mission field, and so on. Lunch was on her own homemade hamburger buns. And when lunch was finished, she said, ‘Okay, that was Ladies’ Aid. And if you’d like to join it will cost you a quarter,’ “Eunice recalled. “I looked in my billfold and had 26 cents! That’s one of my favorite stories to tell because I didn’t usually carry cash on me but that day I had 26 cents.”

Many members from the original congregation and their families are still involved in the church and often attend “Reunion Sunday” when the church first opens its doors for the summer. Many local residents in the area and campers often choose to worship in the historic church. 

Eunice and her husband Davis remain active in the church and have a heart for preserving historical buildings. Eunice has worked on other historical buildings, such as the Pella Opera House and Strawtown Inn and Restaurant.

“Eunice has long had a serious heart for preservation,” Davis Folkerts commented. 

In the 1990s, the church was restored by the Coal Ridge Ladies’ Aid group. Since then, the church has added an antique reed organ, which was restored by a local Pella pastor. Pews were installed that once sat in Second Reformed Church in Pella. The church added heating and cooling and recently installed a handicap accessible bathroom. Pella Cooperative Electric was happy to help when the volunteers at the church asked the co-op to assist them in replacing the bell tower rope. In 2006, the church and adjacent cemetery were marked on the National Register of Historic Places. 

An attribute that graces the hearts of many residents in our rural Iowa region is that of community – and Coal Ridge Church sings that song. A historic building that has stood the test of time only remains because of those in the community who have dedicated time, money and prayers to keep it standing. 

“If you’re going to love something that’s old, you really have to take care of it. Taking care of it is a labor of love.” Eunice said. 

This summer, take a step back into a simpler time and visit Coal Ridge Community Church for worship on Sundays. The church opens its doors at 5 pm starting on May 30 and holds services every Sunday evening until Labor Day. Visit their website at friendsofcoalridge.org.