Local church is a historic treasure

Christ Church receives $200,000 Legacy Grant toward its $1.5 million preservation campaign

Story and photos by MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN

Christ Church Lutheran, at 3244 34th Ave. S. in Longfellow, recently won a $200,000 grant from the Legacy Council’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. The graceful, unassuming church is in need of a new roof, among other things. The generous grant is part of a capital campaign to raise $1.5 million in 1.5 years to preserve the historic structure.

Belying its low-to-the-ground exterior, the church has received soaring international acclaim over the years, and a designation as a national historic landmark. Designed by renowned Finnish-American architect Eliel Saarinen in 1949, the design is credited on a plaque outside the sanctuary doors for, “playing a seminal role in the emergence of modern religious architecture.”

Photo left: Pastor Kristine Carlson (left) and Historic Preservation Committee Chair Will Stark (right). The sculptures between them are part of a vertical series of four, symbolizing from top to bottom the work of the church in the community: faith, hope, love and education.

Christ Church Lutheran was first established in a modest building by German immigrants in 1911. Frugal and hard-working by nature, they saved their money and grew their congregation. Plans were drawn for a new Greek Revival style building just in time for the Great Depression in 1929, and those plans were put on hold. The congregation revisited them in the early 1940’s and then came America’s involvement in WWII.

When the plans were dusted off again in the late 1940’s, they seemed both obsolete and unaffordable. Then-pastor William Buege had heard of the Modernist Movement in architecture and design--and he was curious.

Buege contacted the architect Saarinen and asked, “In a materialistic age like ours, can you design a space that’s truly spiritual?”

The answer was, and is, a resounding, “yes.” The American Institute of Architects awarded Christ Church Lutheran the prestigious 25-Year Award in 1977, an award that recognizes buildings of enduring significance.

There is a sense of peace in Saarinen’s design, brought to life through the harmonious use of materials, proportions, scale and light.

Will Stark is a church mem­ber and historic preservationist, and heads the Historic Preservation Committee at Christ Church. “Our church was conceived as a working class church,” Stark said. “The sanctuary materials were carefully chosen to reflect that. Chicago Common Bricks line the walls, and the floors are made of a concrete called Poor Man’s Travertine. There is no pretense here.”

Photo right: Stark commented that the Finns, living so far north, “really understand how to use the subtle changes in light throughout the seasons.” The sanctuary is nearly unadorned, and natural light is one of its few embellishments.

“If you look carefully,” he continued, “you’ll see that there are no parallel surfaces in the worship space, not a square corner in the room. The sanctuary widens ever so slightly to the back, and the front wall curves toward the altar—collecting natural light from the west and suffusing the sanctuary in a soft glow. The result is a balanced asymmetry.”

By the early 1960’s, Saar­inen had passed away. The church approached his son Eero Saarinen to design a much-needed education wing. He accepted the project, even though his other clients were many times larger and more profitable. Eero by then had designed St. Louis’s Gateway Arch, Washington’s Dulles Airport, and the corporate campuses of General Motors and John Deere to name a few. The education wing he created in 1962 shared the quiet grace of his father’s church, and the two projects seem to have been drawn by the same hand.

According to Pastor Kristine Carlson, Christ Church Lutheran’s membership is about 300, with worshippers coming from the surrounding neighborhood and across town. “In addition,” she said, “we have many artists, musicians, architects and designers who love this place but don’t attend church here.”

Included in that category are Osmo Vanska, Minnesota Orchestra conductor and proud Finn, and Steven Copes, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra violinist and concert master. They’ll be joining forces on Tues., Feb. 2 at 7:30pm at Christ Church. On the stage will also be Erin Keefe, violin; Maiya Papach, viola; and Anthony Ross, cello. Called “Music for a Masterpiece,” the evening’s program of Brahms and Prokofiev is a fundraiser for the preservation work of the church.

The acoustics in the sanctuary are as inspiring as the aesthetics. According to Vanska, the space makes an outstanding venue for a chamber music performance. Tickets start at $40 and can be purchased online at www.christchurchluth.org.

Will Stark concluded, “Everyone involved in the preservation work of Christ Church Lutheran believes in being careful as we move forward. Because we’ve been conscientious stewards of this historic building over they years, the original design has remained unaltered.”

“We will address replacing the worn out roof, improving handicapped access, repairing the courtyard, resealing the original windows, installing new boilers and refinishing historic woodwork--but our pace will be deliberate and thoughtful.”