Tiny Church

[Abby Brown] You might think this church looks like any old church you've seen before; but when you really see it up close in person, you realize that it might be the tiniest church you've ever laid eyes on.

(Map marking Worth County in north-central Iowa.)

In the small rural town of Joice, Iowa, near the Minnesota border, lies the Chapel Hill Cemetery. This cemetery was here for a hundred years before Tom Fretty, a well-known collector in the area, donated this tiny church to the historical society who then placed it here. The church was designed and built to look like the first Catholic Church in Worth County. And it's been a curiosity for this community ever since it got here over 40 years ago.

Inside the tiny church, there's room for just a few people. But it's a fascinating experience. We've even been told that couples have gotten married here in this teeny-tiny church. That must have been a short guest list.

Tom Fretty, who donated the tiny church to the Worth Historical Society, was a well-known mechanical music collector. He and his wife owned Tom's Country Market and Musical Museum nearby in Manly, Iowa. It was an interesting place to go and see old musical instruments and other antiques. It even had an ice cream parlor and a gift shop. Tom had built the museum as a big attraction for people to come and visit. It closed in 1981, but the Freddy family's love of unique and entertaining collectibles lives on, in this tiny church on Chapel Hill.

Whether big or small, every county in Iowa has a curious story to tell. Hope you learned something new with me here in Worth County.

Funding for FIND Iowa has been provided by The Coons Foundation, Pella and the Gilchrist Foundation.