Marble Community Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Paul's Church
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The church in 2011
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 Location in Colorado
Location in the United States
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| Location | Marble, Colorado |
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| Built | 1908 |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| MPS | Historic Resources of Marble, Colorado and Vicinity |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000990 |
| Added to NRHP | August 3, 1989 |
The Marble Community Church, once known as St. Paul's Church, is a very old church located at 123 State Street in Marble, Colorado. Its main building was first built in 1886 in Aspen, Colorado as St. John's Episcopal Chapel. This historic church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
Contents
A Church on the Move
Building the Church in Marble
In the early 1900s, the town of Marble had many children who attended sunday school. However, there was no church building for them to use. In 1908, a small, one-room chapel in Aspen, Colorado called St. John's Episcopal Chapel was no longer needed.
The church leaders decided to move this chapel to Marble. It was taken apart carefully and moved by train to Marble. The chapel was then put back together on two pieces of land at 123 State Street. These lots were bought with a $2500 gift from a group called the Episcopal Women's Guild. The church was renamed St. Paul's Church.
Growing the Church Building
Soon after it was rebuilt, the church was made bigger. Two extra rooms were added to the sides. In 1911, the church grew even more. A bell tower was built, and a large 500-pound bell was placed inside it.
A Community Hub
Challenges and Closure
St. Paul's Church was a very important place for the community. It hosted religious services for different groups, including Episcopal, Union Congregational, and Catholic. It was also a meeting place for other local groups.
However, around the time of World War II, the local marble quarries and mills in Marble closed down. This caused many people to leave the town. As a result, the church closed its doors in 1941. The building remained empty for many years. A local family, the Williams brothers, took care of the empty church.
Reopening and New Beginnings
After more than ten years, in the early 1950s, people were allowed to use the old church again for prayer meetings. More and more people became interested, and soon a new group formed. They decided to call themselves the Marble Community Church.
A person named George A. Drake, who later became a president of Grinnell College, helped lead the church in 1960 and 1961. In 1974, the group was given permission to move back into the old church building. In return, they promised to take care of the building and keep it in good condition.
Official Recognition and Updates
In 1983, the Marble Community Church officially became a recognized organization in Colorado. After some discussions, the church leaders received the official ownership papers for the building and land on July 7, 1985.
The church was recognized as a Historic Place in Gunnison County, Colorado in 1989. It is a great example of an early church building in a mining town. It is also the only building in Marble that shows Gothic architecture.
In 2002, work began to update the old church building. A new fellowship hall was also added. This project was finished in 2004. At that time, a covered walkway, called a breezeway, was built to connect the two buildings. The church celebrated its 100th birthday in 2008.
See also
