Old Stone Congregational Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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First Congregational Church of Lyons
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Old Stone Congregational Church
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| Location | High and 4th Sts., Lyons, Colorado |
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| Area | 0.1 acres (0.040 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000547 |
| Added to NRHP | December 12, 1976 |
The Old Stone Congregational Church, also known as the First Congregational Church of Lyons, is a very old and special building in Lyons, Colorado. It was built a long time ago, in 1894-1895. Because it's so important to history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Contents
Building the Old Stone Church
The idea for the First Congregational Church started in 1889. This was less than ten years after E. S. Lyon came to the area from Connecticut. He bought a lot of land, including where the town of Lyons is today.
Work on the church building began in 1894. It was finished on September 23, 1895. The church was built at the corner of 4th and High Streets. Many people from the church, including the minister, helped build it. They gave their time and effort, as well as money and materials.
Special Stone from Lyons
The main material used to build the church was sandstone. This stone came from local quarries right in Lyons. Skilled workers, called master stonecutters, shaped the stone by hand. They laid the stones in neat, flat rows, even though the blocks were different sizes.
The way the stone was cut and put together was very well done. The walls of the church are super thick, about 20 inches (51 cm)! This makes the building very strong and sturdy.
Cool Details of the Church's Look
The front of the church, called the facade, isn't perfectly even on both sides. The main door leads into the bottom of a single tall tower. This door has a cool, round arch made of wedge-shaped stones called voussoirs.
In the middle of the front, there are two windows. Above these windows are flat stone pieces called lintels. A big arch of stones rises above these windows, adding a decorative touch.
The Tower and Windows
At the very top of the front, in the triangular part called the gable, there's a round opening. This opening helps with air flow and is framed by more of those wedge-shaped stones. It has slats, called louvres, inside.
The tower goes up to the same height as the gable. Above that, there's a section with more louvres. The very top of the tower has a unique "candle-snuffer" roof, which looks like the top of an old candle snuffer.
A Church for the Community
For more than ten years after it was built, the Old Stone Congregational Church was the only church in Lyons. This was until a Methodist church was built in town.
At one time, the church was connected to the United Church of Christ. However, it no longer identifies with that specific group today. The church remains an important part of Lyons' history.
