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

Stained Glass: Emil Frei Stained Glass Company
Designed by: Francis Deck

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 is a startling and dramatic space, with 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 -- a theme that also appears in Murphy & Mackey's contemporary DuBourg House chapel.

The windows are by the Emil Frei company, designed by Francis Deck. The windows were restored in the fall of 2007, with Frei Studios again performing the work; new exterior protective plating was installed as well, to replace the aging and badly yellowed polymer sheet panels which previously protected the windows.

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