First Christian Church - Martinsville, Indiana
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 39° 25.557 W 086° 25.705
16S E 549196 N 4364202
Historic Christian Church in Martinsville, Indiana.
Waymark Code: WM7CCD
Location: Indiana, United States
Date Posted: 10/04/2009
Views: 3
"First Christian Church, 89 South Main Street, Gothic Revival, 1891, and Annex, Tudor
Revival, 1927.
The brick Christian Church has a cross-gabled
roof and a cruciform plan. It features a square belltower with pyramidal roof topped by a cross at
the southwest corner. The lancet, or pointed arch, stained glass windows have brick lintel courses
with stone keystones. Buttresses with stone caps are found at the building's outside corners. The
elevated main entrance is in the tower; originally there were two entrances, but the west entrance
has been filled. The oversize door is paneled wood. A Bennett pipe organ was installed in 1894-
1895.
In 1927, the Tudor Revival style Annex was constructed on the lot north of the church. It is
connected to the Church. Faced with Oriental brick, a product of the Martinsville Brick
Company, the annex consists of two stories over a full basement. It has a limestone belt course
above a concrete foundation, a limestone watertable below the cornice and stone caps on the
north chimney. The main elevation faces west and features an entrance in a limestone pointed
arch opening. Steel casement windows are four-over-eight double-hung sash, with the exception
of a large window in the center of the front facade. This large ornamental window raises two
stories, with two six-over-twenty-four windows (one on each story) separated by a limestone
panel carved with four pointed arches.
The First Christian Church was erected in 1891, a year in which the congregation numbered 400
members, including some of the wealthiest persons in the city. The congregation
prepared for its 100th anniversary in 1991 with the complete restoration of the pipe organ." - Historic District Nomination Form