North Christian Church site gifted to Bartholomew County Public Library

COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Bartholomew County Public Library is expanding into one of Columbus’ most iconic buildings, serving as the next step in the history of the library as well as the city’s famed architecture.

According to the Bartholomew County Public Library’s website, the board voted on Monday to accept a gift from the former North Christian Church congregation for the building and the grounds that previously housed the church, located in north Columbus at 850 Tipton Lane. Officials said the donation encompasses the entire campus.

The city of Columbus said on its website that the church was the last building designed by Eero Saarinen before his death. The building, which was completed in 1964, has a 192-foot spire, topped with a gold-leaf cross, as part of the six-sided building’s sloped roof.

The site was designated as a national historic landmark in 2000 and the last service was hosted in the church in 2022. The building and the site were one of the locations featured in Kogonada’s 2017 film “Columbus” starring John Cho, Haley Lu Richardson and Parker Posey.

“We are so very thankful to the members that entrusted the library to be the caretakers of this incredible property,” Jason Hatton, the director of the Bartholomew County Public Library, said in a news release. “We are also thankful to the Columbus Capital Foundation that has been the interim owner while we went through our deliberative decision-making process.”

This expansion came after the Bartholomew County Public Library conducted a strategic plan in 2022-23. Officials said this plan revealed that the current library spaces are at capacity, stressing that more space was needed to reach the community as a whole.

Officials said the strategic plan, which the library will use as its road map over the next four years, centered around creating community connections. The acquisition of this new site will allow the library to “bring together many organizations and individuals especially as it relates to the 4,000 students within walking distance.”

The new branch is expected to be used for reaching those students who live and go to school near the former church’s property. The library’s website said that there is also potential for the property to become more of a “community hub” or a community center, rather than a traditional library.

While the building and the grounds were a gift from the church, library officials said renovation costs for the site will be necessary, including bringing the building up to accessibility standards before it opens. Funding for these improvements could be through issuing bonds, as well as grants and fundraising.

Currently, the operational costs of the site will be absorbed into the library’s operating budget with no increase in taxes, library officials said.

“We understand how important every dollar is,” Hatton said. “The library works very hard to be fiscally responsible with the money entrusted to us. This project will be no different.”

The library said it will also be “respectful as to future changes made to minimize the disruption of the original design while creating a space that is energetic, fun and welcoming.” The release said the library will work with selected architects to redesign the space to “closely represent” the library’s neutrality “while celebrating the welcoming atmosphere it has always offered.”

Specifically regarding the cross on the steeple, the library said that “the cross on the steeple is the property of the congregation and we will work with them to determine next steps.”

Library officials said the grounds will be “used immediately for summer and fall programming,” including summer reading programs. However, Hatton anticipates it will be at least 2029 before the building will be “fully operational.”

Ultimately, this was the first step in a long journey, Hatton said in the release.

“There is much work to be done with community partners, architects, and designers,” he said. “It may be in the library’s name, but it belongs to the community, and we will work to make sure every voice is heard.”

“It is the library’s honor to carry on the values and architectural legacy that this property represents,” Hatton continued. “May it ever serve as a beacon in the search for knowledge and connection.”

The library said that the official name of the new location will be determined at a later date after “a very deliberative process.”

For more information about the Bartholomew County Public Library and how you can provide feedback surrounding this new location, click here .

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