A Richardsonian Romanesque church of Colorado rhyolite, built in 1889 and still used by its founding congregation.
At a glance
First Congregational Church stands at 20 East Saint Vrain Street in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Completed in 1889, it is the oldest church building in the city continuously used by the same congregation. The National Register of Historic Places listed it in 2002.
History
The church was organized and founded in 1874, alongside the founding of Colorado College. Its first two ministers, Rev. Jonathan Edwards and Rev. James Dougherty, also held positions with the college. The cornerstone of the present building was laid on September 8, 1888. Construction cost an estimated $40,000.
The first service was held on July 21, 1889. Dedication was delayed until October, when the Hook and Hastings pipe organ from Boston was installed. An early article in the Weekly Gazette newspaper said the design “has attracted much attention and admiration.”
What you see
The architect was Henry Rutgers Marshall of New York, a student of Henry Hobson Richardson. This church is one of only two known churches he designed; the other is Arlington Avenue Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn, New York, from 1905. The style is Richardsonian Romanesque, built of Colorado Wall Mountain Tuff, a rhyolite quarried near Castle Rock, Colorado.
The sanctuary is planned in the form of a Greek cross with an octagonal dome above the north nave. Lower walls are paneled in light oak to match the pews, and stained glass is notable throughout. The original Hook and Hastings organ remains the oldest organ in continuous use in Colorado Springs.
Later additions include the Founders Room in 1903, the Christian Education Building in 1959, and the Atrium in 1996. The main building was altered and improved in 1910. Extensive interior restoration was completed in 2011. The church and Founders Room have been restored to their 1910 appearance with support from the Colorado Historical Society’s State Historical Fund.
Cultural significance
Dr. James Gregg, pastor for 27 years, spoke of the portico’s many pillars in October 1914: “Surely few churches there are with so many pillars. The many pillars in our portico seem suggestive of the spiritual life of the church within, its strength, its dignity, its peace.”
The Gregg Library reflects the church’s long emphasis on books. When the sanctuary was built in 1888-89, a library was shelved on one wall of the Sacristy. In 1935, a small frame house on the church’s west side was bought and donated in memory of Rev. Gregg. Named the Gregg Memorial Library Building, it housed a study and classrooms. A $10,000 bequest from Gregg’s children still funds the library’s budget today.
Key facts
- Country: United States
- City: Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Coordinates: 38.8411, -104.8228
- National Register of Historic Places: listed October 31, 2002
Practical information & getting there
The church is at 20 East Saint Vrain Street in Colorado Springs. It remains an active congregation, housed in the building since 1889.
Sources & resources
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