First Presbyterian Church of Golden and Unger House
Encyclopedia
The First Presbyterian Church of Golden and the Unger House are two buildings in the Foothills Art Center in Golden
, Colorado
, United States
. Together they were listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1991, and are the most prominent landmarks of Golden's Court House Hill neighborhood.
. The church was built on land donated by William A.H. Loveland. In 1898 the growing congregation hired prominent area architect James H. Gow to redesign and add onto the building, which transformed it into a roughly cross-shaped chapel with northeast corner bell tower
, with smooth new facing brick enabling the whole to match. The place continued serving as the First Presbyterian Church until the congregation outgrew this space and moved to south Golden in 1958. The fledgling Jefferson Unitarian Church, led by C. Leon Hopper, then took over the church building, and worshipped here for 10 years until moving to their own home east of Golden in Applewood in 1968. By that time, Golden sidewalk art sales were calling attention to the need for an area art center of its own, which led to the creation of the Foothills Art Center, which took over the already artistic space. It has since become one of the renowned art exhibition places of Colorado
.
The Manse of the complex is the northwest wing of the Foothills gallery complex. It was built freestanding in 1892 as the home for the minister of the First Presbyterian Church. It is a Queen Anne-styled home with upper story fishscale siding and onion dome tower. Through additions added in 1898, 1920 and 1947 the main church was linked to this building. It now serves as the main entrance and gift shop of the Foothills Art Center.
and ornamental front porch. Built as a speculation, it was sold in 1900 to banker Jesse W. Rubey as a home for family matriarch Ella M. Rubey. Around 1990 the home was purchased by the Foothills Art Center and now serves as their offices.
Golden, Colorado
The City of Golden is a home rule municipality that is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Golden lies along Clear Creek at the edge of the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Founded during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush on 16 June 1859, the mining camp was...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Together they were listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1991, and are the most prominent landmarks of Golden's Court House Hill neighborhood.
First Presbyterian Church & Manse
The main building of the Foothills complex, the historic First Presbyterian Church was originally built in 1872 as the southwesterly portion of the present building. Originally is was a small east-west oriented chapel with Gothic stained glass windows and brick buttresses, for the congregation founded in 1870 by the famed circuit riding minister Sheldon JacksonSheldon Jackson
Sheldon Jackson was a Presbyterian missionary who also became a political leader. During this career he travelled about 1 million miles and established over 100 missions and churches in the Western United States. He is best remembered for his extensive work during the final quarter of the 19th...
. The church was built on land donated by William A.H. Loveland. In 1898 the growing congregation hired prominent area architect James H. Gow to redesign and add onto the building, which transformed it into a roughly cross-shaped chapel with northeast corner bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
, with smooth new facing brick enabling the whole to match. The place continued serving as the First Presbyterian Church until the congregation outgrew this space and moved to south Golden in 1958. The fledgling Jefferson Unitarian Church, led by C. Leon Hopper, then took over the church building, and worshipped here for 10 years until moving to their own home east of Golden in Applewood in 1968. By that time, Golden sidewalk art sales were calling attention to the need for an area art center of its own, which led to the creation of the Foothills Art Center, which took over the already artistic space. It has since become one of the renowned art exhibition places of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
The Manse of the complex is the northwest wing of the Foothills gallery complex. It was built freestanding in 1892 as the home for the minister of the First Presbyterian Church. It is a Queen Anne-styled home with upper story fishscale siding and onion dome tower. Through additions added in 1898, 1920 and 1947 the main church was linked to this building. It now serves as the main entrance and gift shop of the Foothills Art Center.
Unger House
The Unger House, also historically known as the Rubey House, is a brick house which stands south of the First Presbyterian Church building on Washington Avenue. It was originally designed and built in 1899 by prominent Golden builder Perre O. Unger. It is Edwardian style, featuring a northeast corner towerTower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
and ornamental front porch. Built as a speculation, it was sold in 1900 to banker Jesse W. Rubey as a home for family matriarch Ella M. Rubey. Around 1990 the home was purchased by the Foothills Art Center and now serves as their offices.