National Register of Historic Places

Central Methodist Episcopal Church

Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan
Listed
September 16, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
80001864

About this property

The Lansing Central United Methodist Church is a historic church located at 215 North Capitol Avenue in Lansing, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 as the Central Methodist Episcopal Church. The first meeting of Methodists in the Lansing area occurred in 1845. In 1861, Central Methodist Episcopal Church was officially organized as an offshoot of the First Methodist Episcopal Church in North Lansing, and the congregation purchased a lot on the corner of what is now Ottawa and Washington to construct a church. The building was completed in 1863, but was quickly outgrown by the growing congregation. In 1882, the church bought a lot for a new church, located on the present church site. A number of architects were considered, and Elijah E. Myers, the architect of the Michigan State Capitol, was finally chosen. H.W. Coddington of Kalamazoo, Michigan was chosen as the building, and construction commenced in 1889. Construction was completed in 1890 with the new building being formally dedicated on April 20, 1890. A 4-story temple house, designed by Lee Black, was added onto the north end of the church in 1922-23. The temple house included a banquet hall in the basement, with an auditorium, offices, teaching rooms, lounge, small dormitory and recreation hall which included a bowling alley and basketball court in the floors above. The Lansing Central Methodist Episcopal Church became Lansing Central United Methodist Church in 1968 when the national Evangelical United Brethren Church and Methodist Church (USA) merged to form the United Methodist Church. The Central Methodist Episcopal Church is a low, massive, Richardsonian Romanesque structure built from dark red Ionia sandstone. The church measures one hundred fifty feet long by eighty-six feet wide. The main elevation is a broad facade with an eighty-five-foot high square tower located at one corner and a shorter half-round tower located at the other. Inside the church is a broad, open lobby with two U-shaped staircases leading to a second-floor lobby. A broad entryway leads to the sanctuary, which is a wide, low room containing a rear gallery and pews set in concentric rows around a low pulpit. The ceiling is supported by open timber trusses. All the trim is of red oak. Also on the property is a Temple House, which is a utilitarian, three-story, brick structure faced with stonework which echoing that of the church. The Temple House contains the church offices, a two-story auditorium, Sunday school classrooms, and a gymnasium. Media related to Central United Methodist Church (Lansing, Michigan) at Wikimedia Commons

Location

215 N. Capitol Ave.
Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan
42.73500, -84.55440

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Mutual Building
Industrial
0 mi
First Baptist Church
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Michigan Millers Mutual Fire Insurance Company Building
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0.1 mi
Lansing Woman's Club Building
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0.1 mi
Michigan State Capitol
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0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Central Methodist Episcopal Church listed on the National Register?

Central Methodist Episcopal Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 16, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Central Methodist Episcopal Church?

Central Methodist Episcopal Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Central Methodist Episcopal Church?

The period of significance for Central Methodist Episcopal Church is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Central Methodist Episcopal Church?

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