About

The First United Methodist Church at 420 North Nevada Avenue stands as a testament to the growth and resilience of Colorado Springs. Built in 1901 and designed by architect T.P. Barber in the Romanesque style, the church’s towering stone structure reflects its congregation’s enduring dedication to faith and community. Known for its grand arched windows, intricate details, and a sense of solemnity within its sanctuary, the building encapsulates the vision of a growing city seeking permanence and purpose.

The church’s history is deeply tied to the city’s development. Its congregation, which began as a small group meeting in 1871, grew alongside Colorado Springs, constructing three previous buildings before settling at its current location. Notable features of the church include its stained glass windows, including a Tiffany masterpiece commissioned in 1939, and a pipe organ with over 5,000 pipes.

Today, the First United Methodist Church continues to serve as a place of worship and community gathering, standing smaller in the city’s modern skyline but no less significant in its impact.

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Timeline

• 1901

  The congregation moved to its current location on Boulder and Nevada. Designed by T.P. Barber, this Romanesque-style building featured grand arches, stained glass, and a pipe organ donated by member William Lennox.

  The congregation numbered over seven hundred when, in 1901, Dr. Charles B. Wilcox appointed a committee headed by William Lennox to search again for a site to build a new church. They secured a lot on the corner of Boulder Street and Nevada Avenue. The Colorado Telegraph ran a report of the cornerstone laying service on June 27, 1901, which said in part that Bishop Warren gave the keynote speech and “he impressed his hearers with the seriousness of the occasion, laying especial emphasis upon the noble work that was to be carried on in the new edifice … The church will be one of the handsomest in the state and will provide the largest church auditorium in Colorado Springs.”1
  Handsome was an understatement. T.P. Barber, a local architect and member of the church, chose elements of what is considered by many scholars as the only “truly American” architectural style: the Richardsonian-Romanesque of H.H.Richardson. Richardson’s Trinity Church on Copley Square in Boston was the model for literally thousands of churches in America. Barber adopted several of Richardson’s exterior themes such as monumental stone masonry, arcuated (arched) entries with massive carved doors, a large bell tower, decorative cast iron ornament, colonettes, and spectacular art glass windows. He then devised a unique combination of rotunda (round) central core, gabled extensions on three sides, and broken returns on decorative gables for the corner towers.

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• 1902

  Bishop Henry W. Warren dedicated the new church on July 6. The Bishop preached the morning sermon while Chancellor H.A. Buchtel, of Denver University, preached at the evening service.

• 1908

  On Friday morning, September 11, at about 5:00 a.m., the church Sunday school was badly damaged by fire. In the succeeding months the architect, T.P. Barber, and the other members of the Building Committee arranged to have the Sunday school rooms restored and to have the second story extended in order to provide additional class-rooms. The insurance claim was settled on September 23, for $13,365.22. It paid for most of the restoration and expansion of the facilities.

• 1920

  In April of this year the balance of the half block on Boulder Street was purchased. This was the first step toward realizing the dream of a new Parish House (Sunday School). The leader in this movement was C.A. Hibbard. His interest led him to enlist others in both the planning and giving of time and resources until the dream was fulfilled twenty years later.

• 1939

  The Daisy Scott Memorial Window, created by the L.C. Tiffany Company, was installed, further enhancing the church’s artistic and historical significance.

  

  Daisy Scott Memorial Window
  Louis Comfort Tiffany

  Whereas Senator N. B. Scott of West Virginia has placed in our new church a beautiful Tiffany window representing “Christ Blessing Little Children” in memory of his beloved daughter, Daisy, therefore be it resolved that the members of the Official Board hereby express their gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Scott and their high appreciation of this beautiful gift. It is regarded as a gem by the entire church and wins the enthusiastic admiration of every beholder. We assure the givers that they will be held in grateful remembrance.

  On behalf of the Official Board, by the committee. C. B. Wilcox, Pastor E.B. Simmons, Secretary of Board July 15, 1902

  “…About the Rose window that was given by Senator and Mrs. Nathan B. Scott at the time the present structure was built: Senator Scott was my uncle, the husband of my mother’s oldest sister. Mr. Scott was from West Virginia; he was wounded in the Civil War and spent some time in the Libby prison. Before that, he had come west and was in Denver at the time of the Gold Rush of 1849. He must, then, have been only a boy. In the ‘90s he had a glass factory in West Virginia. Under President McKinley he was Commissioner of Internal Revenue. He and his wife spent several summers with us at 426 East Pike’s Peak Avenue near the Santa Fe station. Their first child, named Daisy, died when about eight years of age. This was a severe blow to them, and the Rose Window was given to the church in her memory. At the same time, father and mother [Mr. and Mrs. William G. Lennox] gave the pipe organ, [Plate] and a little later mother gave the property at 501 North Nevada as a parsonage.” -Dr. William G. Lennox

  This Memorial Window, a priceless art treasure, originally hung in the 1902 church and was moved to the new sanctuary in 1955. Mae Bel Thompson recorded in a typewritten note attached to the above letter [that] “Mr. Tiffany wanted to display the window in his New York studio, considering it the most beautiful window of different colors. Double layers are used on the outer rim and in portions of the center which gives subtle depth and beauty to the composition.” The young girl offering flowers to Jesus is Daisy, and the child in the background her sister Agnes. The baby is thought to be symbolic.

• 1959

  The church expanded its facilities, reflecting its continued growth and influence in the community.

• 1964

  The church embraced modern technology with the launch of a television ministry, which later transitioned into an online presence, connecting the congregation to a global audience.

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Church Members

Members of the church who resided in Historic Uptown.

Additional Resources

• Drive Folder – a collection of documents compiled during the Historic Uptown Neighborhood’s historic preservation efforts.