One of the many historical landmarks in Stuart is the Saints Center.

Once voted the most beautiful church in Iowa, this Byzantine-style structure was built in 1908 and featured an Italian Baroque interior.

For decades, it provided solace, celebration, and a sense of belonging to Stuart's growing Catholic community.

But on August 22, 1995, tragedy struck, and this monument to faith was nearly lost for good.

I was returning from work in Des Moines, and I was on the Eighth Street Bridge on the interstate, and it came on WHO that there was a fire at All Saints Church in Stuart.

The arsonist came out of Des Moines and he had 25 gallons of gas.

He went in the building, in the downstairs first and spread the gas, and then he went upstairs and spread the gas.

And so it started in the basement, the wood floor in the basement, and just spread right up to the dome.

Kohlsdorf: Former parishioner Dick Doherty grew up in Stuart and attended All Saints Church all his life.

After the fire, the building was declared a total loss.

For financial reasons, the Des Moines diocese decided to rebuild at a new site.

That's when Dick and a flock of faithful went into action.

Doherty: My mom, at her house -- I was up there having coffee, and she said, "You have to do something.

They're going to demolish the church."

And so, the church was a landmark for the whole town, not just for Catholics.

It was non-Catholics -- this was their landmark, too.

My family, we wrote a letter to the editor and signed all of our names to it, wanting to get the restoration going or to save the church.

And from that, people contacted us and Project Restore was born at that time.

Kohlsdorf: The Project Restore Foundation was made up of local residents who wanted to see the church rebuilt into a community and arts center.

The group acquired the building from the diocese and raised close to $5 million through a combination of grants, tax credits, and a local bond referendum.

But money was only half the battle.

When we first acquired the church, when I came into it, there was like six feet of rubble.

Everything was falling in.

There was animals living in the church.

It was a mess.

Kohlsdorf: Dick and his team worked first with structural engineers to evaluate the integrity of the steel beams that had held the building's domed roof in place for more than 80 years.

A test revealed the steel had been tempered by the fire and was stronger now than before.

From there, Project Restore and their contractors attempted to rebuild the church just as it was.

The restored building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000, and opened as the Saints Center in 2009.

Today, it's used for community events such as weddings, receptions, funerals, and concerts.

The Saints Center continues to stand tall as a symbol of resilience and unity, remaining a beacon of hope and inspiration for all who pass by this central Iowa community.

I didn't want to lose our landmark in Stuart, and this is our landmark.

I mean, you can see it from the interstate.

When before the interstate was here, you saw it from Highway 6, and it would just draw people off of the road to see what this is in town.

It's still a sacred place, and I still feel it every time I come in here.

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