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Construction is underway to restore the First Christian Church Tower.
Joe Hren/ WFIU/WTIU NewsThe Columbus skyline is getting a makeover thanks to a multi-million-dollar restoration project.
First Christian Church raised $3.3 million to save a tower that’s been a fixture of the city’s downtown since 1942.
Project architect Louis Joyner says the restoration includes replacing brick and making the 165-foot tower structurally sound.
“We're removing the east and west faces of the upper part of the tower, about 50 feet of the upper tower, and those will be reconstructed. And then on the north and south bases, we're removing just the veneer,” Joyner said.
Finnish Architect Eliel Saarinen’s design is one of the first Modernist religious designs in the United States.
Some repairs were completed in 2019 to stabilize the brick veneer but it was determined a much larger restoration is needed.
Columbus Visitor Center Marketing Director Erin Hawkins says more than a third of the fundraising has come from out-of-state grants.
“It means a lot to us to have these architectural assets in the community. And it's who we are, it's what we do. And, it's important to us,” Hawkins said.
Significant grants awarded include:
- $500,000 Challenge Grant from the Jeffris Family Foundation
- $500,000 Save America’s Treasures grant from the National Park Service
- $250,000 National Fund Grant from the National Fund for Sacred Places
The project is expected to finish by November.
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