Aspen Community Church
Aspen Community Church | ||
---|---|---|
Year consecrated 1891 | | |
Location | ||
Geographic coordinates | 39°11′31″N 106°49′15″W / 39.19194°N 106.82083°W | |
Architecture | ||
Architect(s) | Frederick Albert Hale | |
Style | Richardsonian Romanesque | |
Construction cost | $20,000 | |
Specifications | ||
Direction of façade | South | |
Spire(s) | 1 | |
Materials | Peachblow sandstone, wood | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | ||
Added to NRHP | May 12, 1975 | |
NRHP Reference no. | 75000530 | |
Website | ||
Aspen Community Church |
Aspen Community Church is located at the intersection of East Bleeker and North Aspen streets in Aspen, Colorado, United States. It is a stone building erected in the late 19th century. In 1975 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the only house of worship in Pitkin County to be accorded that distinction.
When built, it was originally the home of a
During the work, the largest
Building
The church is on a 1.3-acre (5,300 m2)[2] lot at the northeast corner of the intersection, a block north of Main Street (State Highway 82). It is just outside downtown Aspen. The surrounding buildings are primarily residential; although there is a large commercial plaza a block to the north along East Hallam Street. The level terrain of the city's commercial core begins to slope gently toward the Roaring Fork River.
The building itself is a three-story structure faced in rough-cut peachblow sandstone topped with a hipped roof. Gabled sections cross in the middle of the side elevations, with supporting buttresses. A large cylindrical bell tower is located at the southwest corner.[1][3]
On the opposite corner of the south (front)
The bell tower has three stages. Just to its north is a secondary entrance, sheltered by a dark wooden shed roof on posts, pierced by a gable. The first stage of the tower rises to the roofline, with three narrow windows on the west side and two on the south. At the roofline its facing changes to
Inside, the sanctuary has its original oaken pews and oak floors, covered in a body Brussels carpet. The pews are arranged in a semicircle, descending gently toward the pulpit. The detailed stained glass windows are original except for the round window facing Bleeker, which was added in the 1960s.[2]
The walls are done in red except for the large white cornerstone. Inside it is a vault with some artifacts from the church's construction—a Bible, the Presbyterian newspaper, some Aspen newspapers and a list of all the church officers and the workers involved in the construction project.[4]
History
Construction began on the church in 1890. At that time, Aspen had
Two years after the church's completion, Aspen's fortunes changed for the worse. At the onset of the Panic of 1893, Congress repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, the underpinning of the city's growth and prosperity. Over the next decades, the population began to decline as the local economy shifted to ranching and what little silver mining the market could still sustain, a period in the city's history known as the "quiet years". The church continued to hold services, but by 1934, with Aspen's population down to a few hundred, the congregation was too small to continue.[4]
A solution came in an agreement with the local
In the following decades, Aspen was slowly reborn as a popular and pioneering
It was completed in time for the 1990 observances. A later renovation added the largest organ on Colorado's Western Slope to the sanctuary. In 2009, structural engineers and other experts hired by the church told it the building's structural system was handling 12 times the load it was designed for. The church met in the Aspen Historical Society's property at the former Wheeler–Stallard House for six weeks while tie rods were installed in the ceiling.[8]
Pipe organ
In 1999 a 30 rank Wicks pipe organ was installed in the church. It was rebuilt and enlarged by the Wicks Organ Company of Highland, Illinois from a 20 rank organ that originally served First Lutheran Church of Boston, Massachusetts.[9] Currently it has 32 ranks as a largest pipe organ on the western slope of Colorado.[10] The organ has a 2 manual movable draw knob console with 25 stops.[11] The organ replaced a 1920s 7 rank Kimball theatre organ that was installed in 1961 in the church[9]
Programs and services
The church holds services every Sunday morning at 9:30 am.[12] Professional childcare is provided. Several of the Aspen chapters of Alcoholics Anonymous meet in the church almost daily. The church is also available for weddings, including receptions, and other special events and community groups.[13]
Music is also a regular activity since the sanctuary provides exceptional acoustics. During the
The church also participates in charitable work and
See also
References
- ^ a b c "#8 The Community Church". Aspen Historical Society. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
- ^ a b c Markalunas, Ramona (August 15, 1974). "National Register of Historic Places nomination, Aspen Community Church". National Park Service. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
- ^ "Pitkin County". History Colorado. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
- ^ a b c d "About the church". Aspen Community Church. 2009. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
- ^ Colorado Historical Society, "Frederick A Hale Biographical Sketch" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-10-20. Retrieved 2011-06-18.; June 2, 1977; p. 1. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ McBride, James. "History of the Community Church of Aspen". James A. McBride. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
- ^ Keener-Quiat, Jane (March 8, 2011). "Aspen Community Church grateful for Historical Society". The Aspen Times. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
- ^ a b "Aspen Community Church Organ". aspencommunitychurch.org. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
- ^ "The Music at Aspen Community Church". aspencommunitychurch.org. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
- ^ "Pipe Organ Database | Wicks Organ Co. (Opus 3850B, 1999) Aspen Community United Methodist Church". pipeorgandatabase.org. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
- ^ "Calendar". Aspen Community Church. 2009. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
- ^ "Weddings". Aspen Community Church. 2009. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
- ^ a b "Local Community". Aspen Community Church. 2009. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
- ^ "Partnering in Education and Aid for Kenya (PEAK) 2009". Aspen Community Church. 2009. Archived from the original on September 4, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
- ^ "Partnering in Education and Aid for Kenya (PEAK) 2010". Aspen Community Church. 2009. Archived from the original on September 4, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
External links
- Church website
- Aspen Community Church on Facebook