Mike Wolanin | The Republic North Christian Church in Columbus is shown in a photo from September 2022. Members of the Bartholomew County Public Library Board toured the church Monday while considering accepting the donation of the property for future library and community use.
The Bartholomew County Library Board on Monday received some encouragement in its efforts to give a new lease on life to North Christian Church. The board toured the landmark in advance of deciding in coming months whether to accept donation of the property for future library and community use.
The historic 1964 Modernist icon is a leading symbol of Columbus’ unique architectural identity, but it also requires stewardship that the dwindling congregation at North could no longer provide. As a result, its members have offered to donate the church and grounds to the library for continued use as a public facility.
On Monday, board members toured the church and heard presentations from community leaders involved in efforts to preserve the property and determine its next use. This included representatives from North Christian as well as Heritage Fund — The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County, Landmark Columbus Foundation, Columbus Capital Foundation and others.
Library director Jason Hatton said about a dozen people spoke in favor of the library accepting North for future use, and just one spoke in opposition.
“It was a very supportive crowd,” Hatton said. “The biggest thread was the founding of North Christian, the spirit it was founded on,” which he said was “supportive of the library’s mission of being welcoming to all.”
Hatton said the library board will likely further discuss the North Christian property at its March meeting, and he said he expects the board likely will make a decision regarding whether to accept the donation at its April meeting.
There would be some renovation, preservation and accessibility work to be done on the property, but Hatton said the library would not be undertaking the project alone.
“More importantly I think is really understanding what that building should be and involving as many people as possible in the process,” he said. “We don’t see it as a library building. We see it as a community building.”
“… This isn’t something the library wants to do by itself,” Hatton said. “I think every entity in Columbus and Bartholomew County understands we have to work together if we’re going to make an impact.”
He said he envisions multiple public and private partners working to determine what programming and future uses could look like at the facility.
“The property as a whole, including the building, will mainly be used to serve youth and families. I think that’s the main thrust of what we’ll be looking at,” Hatton said. The sanctuary space, meantime, could serve as a more traditional space for performances, speakers and presentations.
While adapted repurposing of the building could be years off, Hatton said that if the library accepts the donation of the property, it would use the grounds much sooner, beginning this year as a venue for its summer reading program.
The church’s grounds, Hatton said, “is just such an amazing space.”
North Christian Church
Location: 850 Tipton Lane, Columbus.
History: Congregation founded in 1955 from members of First Christian Church, including then-Cummins President J. Irwin Miller.
Dedicated: 1964
Architectural significance: Designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, whose father, Eliel, designed the landmark First Christian Church in Columbus. North Christian features a unique hexagonal “in the round” sanctuary topped by a soaring, 192-foot spire, as well as grounds designed by noted landscape architect Dan Kiley. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 2000.
Offered as donation: With a declining congregation unable to continue to maintain the building, the congregation in 2022 held the last service. The property has been offered as a donation to Bartholomew County Public Library for continued use and long-term preservation.
