First Church of Christ, Scientist (Fairmont, Minnesota)

Infobox_nrhp | name =First Church of Christ, Scientist
( Red Rock Center for the Arts )
Fairmont, Minnesota

nrhp_type =

|thumb
caption =
location= 222 East Blue Earth Avenue

Fairmont, Minnesota
area =
built =1898
added = May 18, 1988
governing_body = Martin County, Minnesota, local government
mpsub=
refnum=88000594 cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

The former First Church of Christ, Scientist located at 222 East Blue Earth Avenue, in Fairmont, Minnesota, is an historic structure that on May 18, 1988, was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is now owned by Martin County, which leases it to the Martin County Preservation Association. [ [http://www.fairmont.org/redrock/about.htm Red Rock Center Restoration Project - About ] ] It is now known as the Red Rock Center for the Arts.

National register listing

*First Church of Christ Scientist (added 1988 - Building - #88000594)
*Martin County - 222 Blue Earth Ave., E., Fairmont
*(less then convert|1|acre|m2, 1 building)
*Historic Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
*Architect, builder, or engineer: Grupe,Fred, Jones,Harry W.
*Architectural Style: Romanesque, Other
*Area of Significance: Architecture, Religion
*Period of Significance: 1875-1899
*Owner: Private
*Historic Function: Religion
*Historic Sub-function: Religious Structure
*Current Function: Vacant/Not In Use

History

First Church of Christ, Scientist, Fairmont, was organized October 1, 1891, and the church edifice, designed by Minnesota architect, Harry W. Jones, was completed in 1898. Sioux quartzite blocks quarried in Minnesota were used for the walls. The massive blocks are called red rocks because of their color and this gave rise to the present name of the building. [ [http://www.fairmont.org/redrock/about.htm Red Rock Center Restoration Project - About ] ]

First Church of Christ, Scientist, Fairmont, later had another church building built on Albion Avenue, which was designed by noted Chicago architect, Charles Draper Faulkner in the Colonial Revival style. [Faulkner, Charles Draper, "Christian Science Church Edifices" second edition, 1946, Chicago: self published, "frontispiece", pp, 76, 382, 384, & 386]

First Church of Christ, Scientist, Fairmont, is no longer in existence

Preservation

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) [ [http://www.aaslh.org/ Welcome to AASLH ] ] has selected the Martin County Preservation Association as one of its 2007 AASLH Award of Merit Winners, for work to preserve, restore and reuse this historic building. [ [http://www.fairmont.org/redrock/ Red Rock Center Restoration Project ] ]

ee also

*List of Registered Historic Places in Minnesota
*List of former Christian Science churches, societies and buildings

References

External links

* [http://www.fairmont.org/redrock/about.htm Red Rock Center for the Arts]
* [http://www.fairmont.org/redrock/ 2007 Award]
* [http://www.fairmontcvb.com/SEEHISTORICALSITES.htm Local Historic sites]
* [http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/4091/ Martin County Genealogical Society]