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Columbus' North Christian Church was final project designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen
The tiny congregation of North Christian Church in Columbus, Indiana, is searching for a savior. But after half a decade of looking, it's yet to find one.
Fans of modern architecture- or anyone with even a cursory interest in the city's stock of famous buildings-probably already know the place, which was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen (creator of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and Washington Dulles International Airport). Its hexagonal, ground-hugging form, topped by a 192-foot-tall metal spire, makes it perhaps the most iconic structure in a town packed with iconic structures.
"It's arguably one of the most significant and recognized buildings in the city," said Richard McCoy, director of Landmark Columbus, a not-for-profit charged with caring for the city's extensive design heritage. "I know that, anecdotally, when guests come to down, it's the most-photographed. It's an amazing place."
But what's truly amazing these days is that the structure, ensconced on the National Register of Historic Places, has also landed on Indiana Landmarks' "10 Most Endangered," a list of historic places the not-forprofit preservation group deems on the brink of extinction but too important to lose. North Christian Church made the annual list for the first time in April.
"People are shocked that this building could be endangered," said Indiana Landmarks President Marsh Davis. "But it's suffering. The air conditioning failed. How are you going to get people to come to church during an Indiana summer when it's 90 degrees inside?"
In most cases and for most structures, this would be an inconvenience, rather than an emergency. But in this case, it highlights the maddening, expensive complexities involved in stewardship of an architectural landmark.
North Christian Church Pastor Tonja M. Gerardy said the church had been patching up the air conditioning unit for years when it gave out for good last April. It was original to the building, which opened in 1964.
It was a day of reckoning for the church, whose financial wherewithal has declined as the size of its congregation has shrunk. It opened with about 350 congregants but now has only about 60, most of them older.
The church sets aside about $150,000 each year to...