North Christian Church
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North Christian Church
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| Location | 850 Tipton Ln., Columbus, Indiana |
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| Coordinates | 39°13′46″N 85°54′53″W / 39.22944°N 85.91472°WCoordinates: 39°13′46″N 85°54′53″W / 39.22944°N 85.91472°W |
| Architect | Eero Saarinen |
| Architectural style | Modern |
| MPS | Modernism in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Design, and Art in Bartholomew County, 1942-1965 MPS |
| NRHP Reference # | |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | May 16, 2000 |
| Designated NHL | May 16, 2000 |
The North Christian Church is a church in Columbus, Indiana. Founded in 1955, it is part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The church building of 1964 was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen (1910–1961) and completed in 1964. Saarinen's father Eliel Saarinen had designed the First Christian Church in Columbus.
The building is hexagonal in shape, with a central metal spire which is 192 feet (59 m) high. Below the spire, there is an oculus that admits light into the main level. The sanctuary is located at the center of the building, with the Lord's Table located in the center of the sanctuary. Rows of pews surround the altar in a hexagon, reflecting the idea that worship should be a central aspect of the life of the congregation. The lower level contains classrooms, an auditorium, a kitchen and an activities area.
In 1955, 43 members of the First Christian Church, designed by Eliel Saarinen, decided to found a new church affiliated with the Disciples of Christ. After some time of worshiping in each other’s homes, in 1956 they purchased 5 ½ acres of land with the help of Irwin Miller. Although Miller wanted to hire Eero Saarinen to design the new church, he believed it was important that the congregation choose the architect themselves:
I was on the building committee. We interviewed about six well-known architects. They all came in with their slides [and talked about their work]. Eero just brought a notebook. He looked at us and said, "What do you want? What do you want it to be? Don’t tell me what you want it to look like, but what you want it to be like". They decided to hire him as soon as he left
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