Aspen Community Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aspen Community Church |
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South elevation, 2010
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | United Methodist Church |
| Leadership | Reverend Kimberly Schultz |
| Year consecrated | 1891 |
| Location | |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Frederick Albert Hale |
| Architectural 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 | |
The Aspen Community Church is a historic stone building in Aspen, United States. It was built in the late 1800s. In 1975, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This makes it the only church in Pitkin County with this special recognition.
When it was first built, it was a Presbyterian church. Many years later, Aspen's population became much smaller. The church then joined with a Methodist church in the city. This was part of a deal where another Methodist church in Colorado became Presbyterian. The church building was fixed up in the early 2000s. It still looks much like it did when it was first built.
The church has the largest organ on the Western Slope of Colorado. Many people say the church looks like a fortress or a castle. It is a popular place for music events. The Aspen Music Festival uses it every year for recitals. The church also hosts two children's music camps each summer. It offers other programs too, like yoga and a mission trip to Kenya.
Contents
What Does the Church Look Like?
The church is on a large piece of land in Aspen. It is just outside the main downtown area. The buildings around it are mostly homes. The land here gently slopes towards the Roaring Fork River.
The church is a three-story building. It is made of rough, orange-pink sandstone. It has a sloping roof that goes up to a point. The sides of the church have pointed sections. Strong buttresses (support walls) help hold them up. A tall, round bell tower stands at one corner.
On the front of the church, the bell tower is matched by another section. This section has three small square windows on the first floor. Above them is a large, round stained glass window. Two narrow windows are above that. In the middle of the front, you'll find the main entrance. Steps lead up to a double wooden door with glass panels. Above the door, a beautiful floral design is carved into the stone.
The bell tower has three parts. Near it is another entrance, covered by a small wooden roof. The first part of the tower reaches the main roof. It has narrow windows on its sides. The middle part of the tower is covered in wooden shingles. It has narrow, pointed vents. The top of the tower has a slightly overhanging, bell-shaped roof.
Inside, the main worship area has its original oak pews (church benches). The floors are also oak, covered with a soft carpet. The pews are set in a half-circle, gently sloping down towards the pulpit (where the speaker stands). Most of the detailed stained glass windows are original. Only the round window facing Bleeker Street was added later, in the 1960s.
The walls inside are red, except for a large white cornerstone. Inside this cornerstone is a small safe. It holds items from when the church was built. These include a Bible, a Presbyterian newspaper, local Aspen newspapers, and a list of all the church officers and workers.
A Look Back: The Church's History
Building the church began in 1890. At that time, Aspen was growing very fast. It had changed from a small camp to a busy city with thousands of people. This was because of the Colorado Silver Boom. The church was designed by Frederick Albert Hale. He also designed other famous buildings in Aspen. The church used the same special orange-pink sandstone. This stone came from a nearby valley. It cost $20,000 to build the church. This would be a lot more money today!
A thousand people came to the church's opening ceremony in 1891. This was after ten months of building work. The cornerstone vault was filled then. The local newspaper, Aspen Daily Times, was the first to say the building looked like a fortress or castle.
Just two years after the church was finished, Aspen's good times ended. In 1893, a law about silver was changed. This caused a big economic problem called the Panic of 1893. Aspen's growth slowed down. Over the next few decades, the city's population got much smaller. This time was known as the "quiet years." The church kept holding services. But by 1934, with only a few hundred people left in Aspen, the church group was too small to continue alone.
A solution came when they agreed with the local Methodist church. The Methodist church was also having problems. In another Colorado town, two churches were thinking about joining. So, the four churches agreed to merge into two. They also swapped their church types. The Aspen church became Methodist. The church in Loma, Colorado, which was Methodist, became Presbyterian.
In the years that followed, Aspen slowly became popular again. It became a famous ski resort. Many wealthy people bought second homes there. The combined church grew along with the town. The round stained-glass window on the Bleeker side was added in 1966. In the 1980s, the building was carefully restored. This was done before its 100th birthday. Most of its original features were brought back. The basement was also updated to be more useful for community events. A side entrance was added too.
The restoration was finished in time for the 1990 celebrations. Later, a huge pipe organ was added to the church. It is the largest organ on Colorado's Western Slope. In 2009, experts found that the church's structure was holding much more weight than it was designed for. The church held services elsewhere for six weeks while strong metal rods were put into the ceiling to help support it.
The Amazing Pipe Organ
In 1999, a large pipe organ was put into the church. It was rebuilt and made bigger by the Wicks Organ Company. This organ originally came from a church in Boston, Massachusetts. Now, it is the largest pipe organ on the western slope of Colorado. The organ has a special control panel with 25 stops. This new organ replaced an older one from the 1920s.
What Does the Church Do?
The church holds services every Sunday morning. Childcare is available for younger kids. Several local groups of Alcoholics Anonymous meet at the church almost every day. The church can also be used for weddings, parties, and other special events. Many community groups also use the space.
Music is a big part of the church's activities. The main worship area has amazing sound quality. During the Aspen Music Festival every August, students perform recitals there. These are free and open to everyone, three days a week. Local and visiting musicians also hold recitals throughout the year.
The church also helps people through charity work and missions. Locally, it supports the city's homeless shelter. It also works with other groups to help in emergencies. In 2008, two church members went to Meru, Kenya. They were part of a program to help with education and aid in Kenya. They helped rebuild a local school and improve its facilities. The church also sent thousands of donated books. More volunteers went to Meru in 2010. They helped improve water and sanitation. The church has started an ongoing sponsorship for the area. More trips are planned for the future.
See Also
