National Register Record for FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Historic Name: FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Current Name: SAME
Address: 500 SOUTH JOHNSTONE AVENUE
City: BARTLESVILLE            County: WASHINGTON
Section: None           Township: None           Range: None          
Description of significance: THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AT 500 SOUTH JOHNSTONE AVENUE, BARTLESVILLE, WASHINGTON COUNTY, OKLAHOMA IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE UNDER CRITERION C IN THE AREA OF ARCHITECTURE AS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF THE ARCHITECTURAL EVOLUTION OF RELIGIOUS FACILITIES DURING THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH REPRESENTS FOUR CONSTRUCTION PHASES WHICH OCCURRED OVER A SIXTY-YEAR PERIOD BETWEEN 1927 AND 1987. EACH WING REPRESENTS ITS ERA OF CONSTRUCTION THROUGH ARCHITECTURAL STYLE. ALTHOUGH EACH PORTION OF THE BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED DURING A SEPARATE PHASE, CONTINUITY OF MATERIALS AND ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS UNIFY THE SECTIONS AND CREATE A COHESIVE COMPLEX. THE 1954 MODERN MOVEMENT A-FRAME SANCTUARY REPRESENTS THE SECOND CONSTRUCTION PHASE AND OPERATES AS THE CENTRAL FUNCTIONAL COMPONENT OF THE CHURCH COMPLEX. THE DRAMATIC FORM SERVES AS THE FOCAL POINT OF THE COMPLEX AND PROVIDES THE DOMINANT ARCHITECTURAL STYLE. SECONDARY COMPLEX ELEMENTS INCLUDE THE 1927 EDUCATION WING, 1956 SNEED CHAPEL, AND THE 1987 ADMINISTRATION AND EDUCATION WING ADDITION. THE 1927 EDUCATION WING COMMUNICATES A RESTRAINED EXPRESSION OF THE COLLEGIATE GOTHIC STYLE THROUGH BUFF BRICK CLADDING AND SIMPLE CAST STONE TRIM. IN CONTRAST, THE DRAMATIC A-FRAME FORM OF THE 1954 SANCTUARY, WITH ITS BUFF BRICK AND CONCRETE EXTERIOR, WAS AN EARLY EXAMPLE OF AN ARCHITECTURAL TREND THAT MOVED AWAY FROM PREVIOUS REVIVAL STYLES IN RELIGIOUS ARCHITECTURE DURING THE MID-TWENTIETH CENTURY. THE 1956 MODERN MOVEMENT SNEED CHAPEL EMPLOYS THE SAME MATERIALS TO VISUALLY AND PHYSICALLY LINK THE 1954 A-FRAME SANCTUARY TO THE 1927 WING. THE 1987 ADMINISTRATION AND EDUCATION WING EXPRESSES A POST-MODERN AESTHETIC THROUGH EXAGGERATED CRENELLATIONS AND POINTED ARCH WINDOWS. AS WITH THE PREVIOUS CONSTRUCTION PHRASES, BUFF BRICK CLADDING IS EMPLOYED TO UNIFY THE 1987 ADDITION WITH THE THREE PREVIOUSLY CONSTRUCTED ELEMENTS OF THE COMPLEX. ALTHOUGH THE 1987 ADDITION IS NOT HISTORIC, IT DOES NOT PREVENT THE COMPLEX FROM CONVEYING ITS SIGNIFICANCE. LISTED 12/1/2020.

Type: BUILDING
Historic Function: RELIGION: RELIGIOUS FACILITY
Current Function: COMMERCE/TRADE: PROFESSIONAL; VACANT/NOT IN USE
Area of Significance 1: ARCHITECTURE
Area of Significance 2: None
Architectural Style: MODERN MOVEMENT; EARLY 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURY REVIVAL
Architect: ARCHITECTS: (1927) UNKNOWN; (1954) COSTON, FRANKFORT, & SHORT; (1957)BUCK & ASSOCIATES; (1987) FRANK RIEHART
Year Built: 1954-1957            Original Site: YES
Condition: EXCELLENT
Restricted: None
Documentation Source: None
Date Prepared: APRIL 2020