Landmark church takes its place in history

The pastor of Christ Church Lutheran in the humble Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis expects wild applause at today's service when she announces big news to congregants.

The Eliel Saarinen-designed church, a pioneer in modernist religious architecture, won a coveted designation as a national historic landmark Friday.

"I'm just thrilled," said the congregation's leader, the Rev. Kristine Carlson, who learned of the designation Saturday. "We thought we'd have to wait for the next administration."

For Christ Church, the selection was the culmination of an extensive effort that began a few years ago.

In its announcement of nine new landmarks Friday, the U.S. Department of the Interior praised Saarinen's ground-breaking design for the church built in 1949, just one year before his death.

"Through his adept use of materials, proportion, scale, and light, Saarinen created the Christ Church Lutheran building with great dramatic effect and architectural impact, yet one that also retained a human scale and possessed a feeling of serenity and repose -- these qualities distinguished Saarinen's work from that of many of his fellow modernists," the agency's news release said. "Saarinen was on the leading edge of the modernist movement and played a pivotal role in the emergence of modernist religious architecture in the United States."

Saarinen, one of the nation's most celebrated architects and architectural educators, also is known as the creator of such iconic structures as the TWA Terminal at JFK Airport in New York City and the John Deere Co. headquarters in Moline, Ill.

His son, Eero Saarinen, directed the design of the 1962 Education Wing addition and completed his father's original design concept. Both the church and the addition won designation.

For the church, the award is an affirmation of the value of the building, aesthetically and historically, Carlson said, adding that plans will be made for a civic celebration. The designation also makes it eligible for new special categories of grant money for preservation and upkeep, including rebuilding the top half of the brick tower.

Modernism wasn't the original plan for the congregation of 1,500 that built the church, but the group couldn't afford the desired Gothic church. Then-pastor William A. Buege turned to Saarinen, who had helped bring modernism to the United States by founding the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Despite its place in history, the church at 3244 34th Av. S. isn't well known, even by architecture aficionados. Carlson said the church congregation, now at 300, is a "very welcoming, vibrant community" that gathers at 9:30 a.m. every Sunday.

"I encourage people to come and use the building for what it was designed for -- worship,'' Carlson said. "It's quite a remarkable experience."

Rochelle Olson • 612-673-1747