First Baptist Church (Columbus, Indiana)
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The First Baptist Church is one of seven National Historic Landmarks in Columbus, Indiana, United States.<ref name="Spiselman n169">Template:Cite web</ref> It was designed by distinguished architect Harry Weese and completed in 1965.<ref name="nrhpinv3">Template:Cite web and Template:NHLS url</ref> Since completion, few alterations have been made and the building has retained its integrity. It was one of the first church designs to integrate Modern movement architecture and a non-traditional church plan.<ref name="nrhpinv3"/>
Location
The First Baptist Church of Columbus is located at 3300 Fairlawn Drive in Columbus, Indiana. It occupies one-third of an open area in a suburban neighborhood of single-family homes developed in the 1960s and 1970s. Richards Elementary School (designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes and built in 1965) and Par 3 Golf Course and Clubhouse (designed by Bruce Adams and built in 1972) comprise the other two-thirds of the "town square". These structures are easily visible as they create the skyline of this residential subdivision.
Description
The First Baptist Church was one of Columbus's early congregations. It occupied a previous site (which has not been preserved) before moving to Fairlawn Drive in 1965. The facility occupies a Template:Convert site at the base of a gently sloping hill which the group chose because the site allowed room for growth and parking. The parcel originally contained a row of walnut trees along its southern boundary, however other trees have been planted on the grounds.
The red brick building has five distinct sections (narthex, sanctuary, office wing, fellowship hall, and chapel) built around a central courtyard. The windows are tall and narrow.
The sanctuary is the principal interior space of the building. It is a windowless room, made up of simple elements that combine to create a space that is at the same time dramatic and serene. Each element is a simple object—a brick wall, a beam, an opening, a skylight—but all exaggerated slightly in size, proportion, or height.
See also
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Indiana
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Bartholomew County, Indiana
References
External links
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Template:Columbus, Indiana Template:NHLs in IN Template:NRHP in Bartholomew County, Indiana
- Pages with broken file links
- Churches completed in 1965
- 20th-century Baptist churches in the United States
- Baptist churches in Indiana
- Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana
- Churches in Bartholomew County, Indiana
- Modernist architecture in Indiana
- National Historic Landmarks in Columbus, Indiana
- Harry Weese buildings
- 1965 establishments in Indiana
- 1960s architecture in the United States