Central Presbyterian Church (St. Paul, Minnesota)

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Central Presbyterian Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location: 500 Cedar Street
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Coordinates: 44°56′59″N 93°5′46″W / 44.94972, -93.09611Coordinates: 44°56′59″N 93°5′46″W / 44.94972, -93.09611
Built/Founded: 1888
Architect: Warren H. Hayes
Architectural style(s): Richardsonian Romanesque
Added to NRHP: February 10, 1983
NRHP Reference#: 83000926[1]
Governing body: Private

Central Presbyterian Church is a church in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota. The congregation was founded in 1852 and built its first building in 1854, which was later enlarged during the 1870s. The rapidly growing congregation outgrew the building, so they built a new church building in 1889. The building, an example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[2]

The arched entrances, a hallmark of the Richardsonian Romanesque style, feature a number of carved floral and geometric motifs.[2] The façade is coarsely carved Lake Superior brownstone with a massive 90-foot gable over the arches. The architect, Warren H. Hayes, laid out the seating in the Akron Plan. It features a raised semi-circular chancel, which places the speaker in the front of the congregation and at the center of the chancel. The pews are curved and laid out in a semi-circular pattern on a sloping floor. This design, similar to a theater's design, allows each person to see and hear the speaker.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
  2. ^ a b Millett, Larry (2007). AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: The Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press, p. 320. ISBN 0-87351-540-4. 
  3. ^ Central Presbyterian Church - Our Architecture & Organ. Retrieved on 2008-02-16.

[edit] External links

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