Church tower restoration begins after $3M fundraise

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A $3.2 million restoration project of the First Christian Church Tower in Columbus is underway after a successful fundraising effort. The church tower is considered iconic in a city known for its architecture.

Fundraising efforts began in August 2021, when the Wisconsin-based Jeffris Family Foundation announced it would match $1 for every two dollars raised by supporters of the church. The foundation is known for its support of preserving regionally and nationally important historic buildings in the Midwest. Friends of First Christian Church raised $1.1 million, which triggered this challenge match.

“First Christian Church is an integral part of the story we share with visitors on our architecture tours,” said Erin Hawkins, marketing director with the Columbus Area Visitors Center. “It was the first modern building in Columbus designed by an important architect, and its location within our downtown, and its relationship to the I.M. Pei-designed library across the street make it particularly significant.”

The “Friends” say more than one-third of the money was raised from out-of-state grants, including grants from the Jeffris Foundation, the National Parks Service, and the National Fund for Sacred Places.

About 70 donors provided donations over the 19-month period to enable the matching funds.

“The partnership formed between Heritage Fund, First Christian Church and Landmark Columbus Foundation is quite special,” said Tracy Souza, president and CEO of Heritage Fund. “Each party brings an important component to the table to make this project successful.”

The church and the friends organization will celebrate the fundraising milestone for the “Save Our Tower” project on April 21, which will include guest speakers and guided tours of the project site.

“This is a unique moment in Columbus. We hope that this event inspires people to learn more about this iconic building, the status of the tower project, and even some finer details (like furniture) that make the story of the building as special as the building itself,” said Richard McCoy of Landmark Columbus Foundation.

The renovation project is expected to take eight months and should be completed in November.