Facts about First Church of Christ, Scientist, Denver
Building erected in 1904.
Architect: Ernest Philip Varian of Varian, Frederick & Sterner
Exterior is white lava stone.
Style: Greek Revival
Cost: $165,000
The Auditorium:
The auditorium originally seated 1800. The leather covered wooden seats were replaced with the present seats sometime in the 1940's. Now there are approximately 1004 seats.
The wood paneling is of Russian oak. According to newspaper accounts, the original color scheme was green and ivory. The walls were described as painted a "Nile Green," and the carpet was dark green velvet.
Note the variety of plaster architectural details, all consistently Classical Revival: the Doric columns and pilasters, the Corinthian brackets, the dentil, egg and dart bands of the cornices.
The Organ:
The organ is a Casavant organ, built by Casavantes Freres of St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada, installed in 1960.
Total number of pipes: 3,336. 86 pipes are visible in the front. Pipes range in size from the size of a pencil to sixteen feet. All pipes, boxes, air chests and mechanisms in the organ loft weigh sixteen tons.
It was one of the first in the western U.S. to have a "Classical" tonal design (low wind pressure and open pipes) giving the organ a clear sound.
The Foyer:
The foyer is 50 feet wide, by 115 feet long. Since Christian Science churches do not have social halls or kitchens, large lobbies provided easy circulation in a comfortable environment.
The Sunday School:
The Sunday School has gone through two major renovations. First in the 1960's, and most recently, in 2006. The original floor was brown linoleum, characteristic of public schools of the time. The original ceiling sported exposed pipes, ductwork and encased I-beams that hold up the auditorium floor. The cast iron columns were topped with Corinthian capitals. There were windows letting in light on the alley and 14th Street walls. Also of note on the lower level was a large bicycle storage room, now turned into other storage uses.
The Administration Building:
July 1927, the administration building to the north was completed for $42,000.
The architect was William N. Bowman.
Church Services:
Mary Baker Eddy viewed the church she founded as having a central function in the lives of Christian Scientists. It should educate them spiritually and provide them with a means of worship that they could put into practice in their everyday lives.
Worship services are characterized by simplicity and purity. The order of services are the same in all Christian Science Churches. In 1895, Mrs. Eddy ordained The Bible, and her primary work, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, as the only Pastor of The Church of Christ, Scientist throughout the world. Two lay readers, elected from the membership, read from this "Dual Pastor" for the Sunday Service.
On the other hand, at the Wednesday meetings, half of the time is devoted to comments from members of the congregation. After the singing of hymns and brief readings from the Bible and from Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures, the First Reader opens the floor for the sharing of testimonies of healing and insights gained through the study of Christian Science.