Church Square (Columbus, Georgia) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Church Square
|
|
 Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Roughly bounded by 2nd and 3rd Aves., 11th and 12th Sts., Columbus, Georgia |
|---|---|
| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Built | 1859 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| MPS | Columbus MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 80001151 |
| Added to NRHP | December 2, 1980 |
Church Square is a special city block in downtown Columbus, Georgia. It is home to two important churches: First Baptist Church of Columbus and St. Luke United Methodist Church. This block is located between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, and 11th and 12th Streets.
What makes Church Square so special? It's the only block left that was set aside specifically for churches. This was done by Edward Lloyd Thomas way back in 1828. He was the person who surveyed the area and created the original plan for the city. Church Square was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 2, 1980. This means it's recognized as an important historical site.
Contents
How Columbus Was Planned
The city of Columbus was created by the Georgia government on December 24, 1827. It was one of only four cities in the state to be formed this way. The area was surveyed in 1828 by Edward Lloyd Thomas. He worked under the direction of John Forsyth, who was the governor of Georgia at the time.
Columbus was planned to be on the Chattahoochee River near Coweta Falls. The goal was to encourage pioneers to move to the western part of Georgia. The city was meant to be a center for farming, industry, and transportation. The river was key to all these activities.
The Original City Layout
The 1828 city plan for Columbus was a rectangle. It had thirteen blocks long and eight blocks wide. This area stretched from what is now 17th Street to 10th Avenue and the river. Much of this old city layout is now part of the Columbus Historic District. This district is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In the original plan, there were special "squares" set aside. These squares were for public uses like government buildings, churches, and schools. Church Square, located between 2nd and 3rd Avenues and 11th and 12th Streets, was one of these. It was meant for religious use. Today, Church Square is the only one of these original religious squares that is still used for churches.
The Two Churches of Church Square
Since the very beginning, Church Square has been home to two different church groups: Baptists and Methodists. The southern part of the square, called Lot B, was given to the Methodists in 1828. The northern part, Lot A, was given to the Baptists in 1829.
The Baptist Church
The Baptist church on the northern lot started on February 14, 1829. It was first known as Ephesus Baptist Church. In 1830, the church built a small wooden meeting house. Later, in 1840, a brick building replaced it. The wooden house was moved to the back of the lot.
Under the leadership of James H. DeVotie, a new and bigger church building was opened on October 25, 1859. The congregation has met in this building ever since. Later, the church changed its name to the First Baptist Church of Columbus. This Greek Revival style building is the oldest church building still standing in downtown Columbus.
About the Baptist Church Building
The church building was first built with two stories and a Gothic steeple. A steeple is a tall, pointed tower on a church. However, the steeple was removed during renovations in 1896–97. The bell that was inside the steeple is now displayed outside, to the northeast of the main church building.
The building itself is rectangular. It has a five-sided apse, which is a curved or angled part at the end of a church. The roof is gabled, meaning it has two sloping sides that meet at a ridge. In 1909, six Doric columns and a pediment were added to the front. A pediment is a triangular shape above the columns. These additions changed the building's style from Gothic to Neoclassical.
The two main entrances on the front also have smaller pediments. The sides of the building feature two-story stained glass windows. These windows are separated by brick pilasters. Pilasters are flat, decorative columns built into a wall. Other buildings were added to the lot between 1924 and 1948. They were designed to match the style of the main church.
The Methodist Church
The Methodist church group started a little earlier than the Baptist one, in 1828. This congregation has had five different buildings. Each new building was built on the same lot, replacing the older one. The current building for the Methodist church was built in 1948.
