Abbot Frowin began planning the Basilica's construction as early as 1879, when he was ready to build a permanent monastery for the community which had outgrown its original 1873 wood-frame structure. The church's foundation was begun in 1882 soon after the west wing of the present monastery was built. A delay in completing the building was due primarily to strained finances but also to the fact that Abbot Frowin was searching for an architect who he felt truly understood romanesque architecture, a style not very well appreciated by mid-nineteenth century architects. He seems to have been convinced that the simple lines of romanesque architecture better complemented the dignified restraint of monastic chant, liturgy and discipline. In 1889, Albert Schneiders and George Vonderhaar, contractors from Quincy, Illinois, were hired to build the shell of the abbey church. J. Storks and H. Brinks, also of Quincy, were contracted for exterior and interior finish work. The basilica covers 47,504 square feet, measuring 198 feet in length and 99 feet in width at its transepts. It is of a neo-romanesque style reminiscent of the German Rhineland romanesque churches. The interior shows influences of what has been termed a Rhenish transitional gothic style, seen especially in the ribbed vaulting of the plaster ceiling. Abbot Frowin Conrad, O.S.B., begun the building of the Abbey Church only 10 years after he and seven novices arrived from Engelberg Abbey in Switzerland in 1873. He wanted to build a permanent monastery according to the principle: "the church as dignified as possible, the monastery simple yet solid." The architectural style of the church and monastery was very important to Abbot Frowin. He was adamant that it be designed in an authentic Romanesque style. He believed that the style of a building influenced the values of the people living in them and he believed that the Romanesque style was best suited to nourish the monastic value of simplicity. Most of the Benedictine monasteries of Germany and Switzerland were built in the Baroque style; his decision to go back to the more ancient Romanesque style indicated his belief that Conception would seek a more classical Benedictine spirituality. A number of architects from as near as Iowa and as far as New York, were contacted by Abbot Frowin to develop plans for the Basilica. He finally contracted the services of a Franciscan architect, Brother Adrian Wewer, O.S.F., to draw up plans for the Basilica. It is uncertain how Abbot Frowin made the acquaintance of Brother Adrian. It may have been through the Franciscans in nearby Chillicothe, Missouri, who had a small friary and parish there; in fact, Brother Adrian designed the church (1879) and friary (1892). Brother Adrian was born in 1836 in the predominantly Catholic town of Harsiwinkel near Munster in northern Germany and entered the Franciscan Order in 1858. In 1862, Brother Adrian was sent to Teutopolis, Illinois, where along with other Franciscan brothers, he worked on construction projects for growing German Catholic communities. He developed his talents for designing church furniture and architecture and became the primary architect for the Franciscan Province of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and served in that capacity for half a century. He died in San Francisco in 1914. © 2000 - The Printery House, Conception Abbey, Conception, Missouri