Red Rock Center for the Arts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red Rock Center for the Arts |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| Address | 222 Blue Earth Avenue East |
| Town or city | Fairmont, Minnesota |
| Coordinates | 43°39′7″N 94°27′34″W / 43.65194°N 94.45944°W |
| Completed | 1898 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Harry Wild Jones |
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First Church of Christ, Scientist
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built by | Fred Grupe |
| NRHP reference No. | 88000594 |
| Added to NRHP | May 19, 1988 |
The Red Rock Center for the Arts is a really old and special building in Fairmont, Minnesota. You can find it at 222 East Blue Earth Avenue. This building was added to a special list called the National Register of Historic Places on May 18, 1988. Back then, it was known as the First Church of Christ, Scientist.
Today, the building is owned by Martin County. They let a group called the Martin County Preservation Association use it. This group helps take care of the building and uses it for art events.
Contents
A Building with a Story
The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Fairmont started on October 1, 1891. The church building itself was finished in 1898. A famous architect from Minnesota, Harry Wild Jones, designed it.
The walls of the building are made from huge blocks of stone. These stones are called Sioux quartzite and were dug up in Minnesota. They are a reddish color, which is why people started calling them "red rocks." This is how the building got its current name, the Red Rock Center!
From Church to Art Center
Over the years, the building changed hands a few times. In 1937, the First Church sold the building to the Christian Church of Fairmont. Then, in 1988, the Christian Church sold it to a businessman.
The original First Church of Christ, Scientist in Fairmont later had another church building built. This one was at 205 Albion Avenue. A well-known architect from Chicago, Charles Draper Faulkner, designed it. That building is now a funeral home.
The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Fairmont no longer exists.
Saving History: Preservation Efforts
The Red Rock Center is important because people worked hard to save it. The Martin County Preservation Association did a great job. They helped fix up the building and find new ways to use it.
In 2007, a group called the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) gave them an award. This award was for their amazing work to keep this historic building safe and useful.
See also
- List of former Christian Science churches, societies and buildings
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Martin County, Minnesota
