UPDATE from PAM
This church reminds me of a home in a very upscale neighborhood in Oklahoma City that I was in once, many years ago, as a small child. The sharp peaks are glass or some other clear material allowing light in. It has always stuck with me. Fascinating and talk about immaculate. You can see pictures of it on our county assessors web site as follows: here and hereGoing north on 54 last week I glanced left across the cemetery next to the tanks and spotted zigzags and diamonds.
Good grief. You could put your eye out with that thing.
Next time you are at Scott Antique Market go south a few miles and turn west at the tanks.
It stands proud on a huge level lot, as if it's on the coastal plains. It's immaculate.
It's the Evangelistic New Life Apostolic Church in Forest Park, just a block west of Jonesboro Road at Forest Avenue. I suspect it started life with a different congregation.
How did this come to be?
Are the points on the peaks skylights?
Like it or not, its a complete concept.
Who designed this? When?
What is it like inside?
Posts
curious to see it inside...
ReplyDeleteOh, my. It's so ... angular. I'm not sure I get the point.
ReplyDeleteTerry so interesting, how patterns repeat themselves!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
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It looks hurrcane-proof. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteThere is a similar church in Memphis, TN, that I thought was neat when I was little, too. It was built at the end of the 1950s, I think. It is in a far part of town that I no longer have a reason to visit. But I will try to go by and see if it is still there and send a picture. Perhaps they are a plan service design.
ReplyDeleteThis church was built in the 1960's by the Victory Baptist Church. The pastor was Hurbert H. Burcher. The inside was beautiful and yes, the peaks do allow for light to come inside. The side windows are high enough that outside movement doesn't distract the worshipers. When first built, the front was made entirely of a material that had a stained glass appearance. The building at the back holds the church offices, Sunday School rooms, nursery and bathrooms. I remember playing on those granite foundations with all the other children. I have a lot of happy memories from growing up there and my husband and I married there in 1975.
ReplyDeleteThe church was designed by architect Jay Wells. The building cost was about $65,000. The first service was held in December 1961. The Education building was completed in November 1966.
DeleteMy grandparents went to Victory Baptist Church for most of their life (may have been there when it was built). The design was always refreshing to me, and I have fond memories of it.
DeleteAnd my little brother and I played on the granite foundations, too. :)
DeleteThose peaks and valleys were a mess for trapping water and allowing leaks to form. That was corrected at great expense some time in the '80's I believe (during which time I was growing up in that church) by elevating the center of each valley to allow for run-off to the edges. The inside of the worship center was dark stained wood paneling (felt very dark inside during evening services) until we painted the ceiling white (late '80's/early '90's?) to make it feel less cavernous. It was at that time that a vestibule was constructed at the back of the church and the large stained-glass cross was covered to only include the panels that aligned with the cross itself. The building was/is unique, but was a headache to heat and cool and keep dry. The baptistery inside was like a huge pool in the front stage left of the sanctuary (yes, in front of the stage) and the only access one had to a bathroom was to go down front, past all the spectators, and make your way into the education building (embarrassing). Much more could be said. I virtually lived at that church from the time I was born until I left in my early '20's. I was the music/choir director there for a while. Wish I could see the inside today.
ReplyDeleteI use to climb this when I was young. We would race to the top. (This was back in the mid 1970's)
ReplyDelete