First Baptist Church (Columbus, Indiana)

First Baptist Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
First Baptist Church, Columbus, Indiana
Location:	3300 Fairlawn Dr., Columbus, Indiana
Coordinates:	39°14′1″N 85°52′20″W
Architect:	Harry Weese
Architectural style:	Modern
Governing body:	Private
MPS:	Modernism in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Design, and Art in Bartholomew County, 1942-1965 MPS
NRHP Reference#:	00000707
Significant dates
Added to NRHP:	May 16, 2000
Designated NHL:	May 16, 2000

First Baptist Church is one of six national historic landmarks in Columbus, Indiana. It was designed by distinguished architect Harry Weese; construction was completed in 1965. Since completion, few alterations have been made and the building has retained its integrity.

Location

The First Baptist Church of Columbus is located at 3300 Fairlawn Drive in Columbus, Indiana. It comprises one-third of an open area in a suburban neighborhood of single-family homes that was developed in the 1960s and 1970s. Richards Elementary School (designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes and built in 1965) and Par 3 Golf Course and Clubhouse (designed by Bruce Adams and built in 1972) make up the other two-thirds of the "town square". These structures are easily visible as they create the skyline of this residential subdivision.

Description

First Baptist Church

First Baptist Church in the mid-1960s

Sanctuary

The First Baptist Church was one of Columbus's early congregations. They had a previous site (which has not been preserved) before moving to Fairlawn Drive in 1965. The 7.1-acre (29,000 m²) mostly flat site was chosen to allow room for growth and parking. There is a small hill, and the two-story building is at its foot. The church lot was originally adorned only with a fence row of walnut trees, although later many other trees were planted.

The red brick building has five distinct sections (narthex, sanctuary, office wing, fellowship hall, and chapel) built around a central courtyard. The windows are tall and narrow.

The sanctuary is the principal interior space of the building. It is a windowless room, made up of simple elements that combine to create a space that is at the same time dramatic and serene. Each element is a simple object—a brick wall, a beam, an opening, a skylight—but they are all exaggerated slightly in size, proportion, or height.