First Christian Church - Eugene, Oregon - This Old Church on Waymarking.com

The original plans for the church show it very much as it appears today, except for the bell tower and the new office and chapel on the south side of the original building. The design is known as the "Akron" or "Miller" plan (first used in 1867 by Miller in the First Methodist Church in Akron, Ohio), this is where the auditorium allowed flexibility, comfort, and good sight lines. The plan also allowed Sunday school rooms to be opened to the auditorium so that the church member and others could listen to a speaker, choir, or musicians and not miss out on the religious instruction that was given.

The original cost of the building, $75,000, was reduced by $1,000 when the contractor was unable to fix a leak in the dome. This roof leaked until 1992 until a new roof for the dome was installed, making that winter the first in 81 years without a leak.

One of the most impressive features of the church is its stained glass windows which may be found in every part of the original structure including the Sunday School and meeting rooms. The Sanctuary windows depict the story of the Christ in Gothic style, reproducing several famous paintings. The foyer glass continues portraits of the disciples. These windows are highly acclaimed works of art by Pevy Brothers of Portland. The windows located on the west side of the church were taken from the previous building and were made about 1865. Another notable feature in the Sanctuary is the extensive use of moldings in the pillars, ceiling and rotunda. These moldings are plaster cast which is considered a lost art.

The Dedication Service for the new building was led by a nationally known evangelist, Dr. Charles Reign Scoville. He and his team conducted services through November 12, 1911. According to the Eugene-Register Guard, Dr. Scoville delivered an elegant dedicatory sermon at the Christian Church "to the largest audience ever gathered in a house of worship in Eugene." The church was "packed" and he talked "until 2 pm."

The bell tower and Deagan chimes, now an integral part of Eugene, were installed in 1926. The Deagan tower chimes was typically installed in a church belfry. The striking mechanism was coupled, via electrical relays, with the roll mechanism. The Deagan Company built somewhat more than four hundred tower chime sets prior going out of business in 1957. The Deagan chimes are to this day still considered the finest tower chimes ever made. Nearly three-fourths of these fine instruments have either fallen into disrepair or have been replaced with electronic systems.

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Date the Church was built, dedicated or cornerstone laid: 11/12/1911 Age of Church building determined by?: Church website If Church holds a weekly worship service and "all are welcome", please give the day of the week: Sunday Indicate the time that the primary worship service is held. List only one: 9:30 AM Street address of Church: 1166 Oak Street Eugene, Oregon United States 97401 Primary website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link] If denomination of Church is not part of the name, please provide it here: Not listed If Church is open to the public, please indicate hours: Not listed Secondary Website for Church or Historic Church Building: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   11/05/2010 TheBeanTeam visited it