San Xavier del Bac Mission
Tucson, Arizona
It was nearly a century after the Jesuit missionary Father Eusebio Francisco Kino founded the San Xavier Mission that construction began on what would become the iconic church San Xavier del Bac. The church was completed in 1797 and is the oldest intact European structure in Arizona. Although it is just minutes from the modern downtown area of Tucson, the San Xavier del Bac Mission is still set in the 18th century.
Original statues and intricate Baroque murals adorn the interior of the building. Its exterior is unique even among Spanish Colonial buildings in the United States because of its composition of low-fire clay brick, stone, and lime mortar and a masonry vaulted roof.
“Unlike many similar churches of this age, much of the artwork decorating the interior walls is still intact,” said the Rev. Stephen Barnufsky, pastor of the San Xavier del Bac Mission. “Little is known about the people who decorated the interior. The artwork was probably commissioned by Father Velderrain’s successor and most likely created by artists from Queretero in Mexico. The sculpture was created in guild workshops and carried by donkey through the Pimeria Alta to the Mission.”
The shell, a symbol of pilgrimage, is replicated throughout the building in window treatments, the sanctuary, the facade and elsewhere in the interior.
Thorncrown Chapel
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Just like the structure itself, the story behind the creation of the Thorncrown Chapel is both organic and spiritual. The chapel was the dream of Pine Bluff native Jim Reed, who purchased the land in 1971 with the idea to build a glass chapel in the woods to give visitors an inspiring place to commune in nature. After getting renowned architect E. Fay Jones on board, Reed later found himself short on funds and was faced with abandoning the project.
Left with nowhere else to turn, Reed made one final trip up to the half-finished chapel and got down on his knees to pray. The moment of humility was a turning point for the project, and in just a few days, all the money required for the project was made available. The chapel was opened on July 10, 1980.
“People come from all over the world to see the chapel, said Doug Reed, pastor at Thorncrown Chapel. “Some come to see amazing architecture, but some see the chapel as a place to connect with God. It is hard not to be inspired when visiting the chapel, even if you are not particularly religious.”
The chapel has won numerous architectural awards over the years, with its 6,000 square feet of glass and 425 windows that soar 48 feet into the air in an Ozark Gothic style. Made from all organic materials, like pressure-treated pine and native flagstone, the chapel is a natural reflection of its Ozark hillside home.
Boston Avenue Methodist Church
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Boston Avenue United Methodist Church (BAUMC) was begun in 1893 when the church was founded with just seven members during the stormy times of the women’s rights movement. As the congregation grew, so did the need for a larger building. The vision for the building was to create a space for all people to gather, regardless of age, race, religion or gender, so female artist Adah Robinson was chosen to design the building based on a sketch of her new Art Deco style.
Construction was completed in 1929, and to this day, the building is considered one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical Art Deco architecture in America and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The main architectural features of the building include the soaring 255-foot tower and the arched doorways with “Circuit Rider” sculptures that symbolize an outward pouring of God’s love for all who pass beneath.
“I love the main entrance to our building and the dome in the sanctuary,” said Hayley Wheeler, director of communications for the church. “No photo can even come close to capturing it. If you’re sitting on the main level of the sanctuary and look straight up at the huge lighted circle, it’s just awe-inspiring, and you can definitely feel God’s presence.”
