Look for a tall, striking brick building with a pointed steeple and large arched windows-it's right ahead with a patch of inviting green out front.
Welcome to one of Iowa City’s oldest stories, standing before you in brick and stained glass: the Congregational United Church of Christ. Picture this spot back in 1856-seventeen locals, maybe bundled against a chilly Iowa wind, gathering together with hope to form a new congregation. Fast-forward just over a decade and you’d see the cornerstone laid in 1868, with the whole project-designed by Gurdon P. Randall, a seasoned Chicago architect-costing $30,000. That’s a pretty sum, especially when you consider what you could buy for $30k in the 1860s. A whole block of Iowa City, maybe!
Dedicated in December of 1869, this church has always known how to adapt. Look to your right (or imagine peeking through old blueprints) and you’ll find that where the university’s biology building stands today, a parsonage once linked the church with home life. Every few decades, the church received a new addition: a parsonage, an administration wing, a Little Chapel, even a top-of-the-line Lyon and Healy pipe organ in 1903-perfect for rolling thunderous chords through the sanctuary.
Step inside and the Gothic Revival theme continues, from vaulted beams overhead (added in the 1930s spurred by a need for a little ‘wow’ factor inside) to the pair of towers framing its face. Over the years, there have been social halls, education wings, and a 2007 pipe organ packed with parts and history from three different instruments-talk about a musical Frankenstein’s monster! With every decade, the Congregational United Church of Christ has both changed and stayed the same, welcoming all who pass through its doors with the same spirit of community that started it all. Can you feel that sense of history lingering in the air? That’s not just a church bell, it’s the echo of Iowa City’s past!
