1917 - FORMER First Church of Christ, Scientist - Paris, TX
N 33° 39.581 W 095° 33.597
15S E 262625 N 3727364
Formerly home of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, this building at 357 W Kaufman St, Paris, TX, has been restored and is currently for lease, in need of a tenant.
Waymark Code: WM12T7C
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 07/11/2020
Views: 2
This building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, but note that its address was "339" and not the "357" that it is today. There is a home at 339 just next door. The National Register's
Nomination Form is remarkably brief, offering up just two sentences about the building:
Raised one-story brick structure; broad steps lead to portico supported by Ionic columns; double French doors with transoms lead to sanctuary; heavy entablature; three tall arched windows at sides.
-and-
One of the earlier Christian Science churches in Texas; one of the first Beaux Arts buildings constructed in Paris after the fire, it is an unusually well-detailed small church. It compares favorably with Temple Freda (NR 1984) in Bryan, Brazos County, Texas.
Paris wasted absolutely no time in rebuilding after the Great Fire of 2016, and as the Nomination Form indicates, this 1917 Classical Revival building (so noted by a partially-hidden cornerstone on the north elevation) was an early work as they climbed out of the wreckage. There is no indication as to when the congregation went inactive, although the Nomination Form indicates that the building was vacant in 1988. It has been host to a few congregations over time, and experienced neglect well into the 20teens prior to its restoration.
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