Columbus, Indiana: Athens of the Prairie

As soon as I got on the highway to leave Columbus to conclude my very fist visit, I thought to myself, “it’s like an urban oasis in a desert of cornfields.”  Apparently I’m not the first to come up with such a conclusion about the small town with big architecture. In the 1960s, Lady Bird Johnson wrote about Columbus in the Saturday Evening Post, calling it the “Athens of the prairie.”  And it is largely true.  Columbus is nowhere near a Modern Utopia, and for the most part looks just like any small town in America.  But scattered throughout the city are a surprising number of landmark buildings by some of the world’s greatest designers.

This unusual haven for architects was conceived by J. Irwin Miller, who was CEO of Cummins Inc. and nephew to the founder.  Cummins is headquartered in Columbus and is the city’s largest employer.  Miller’s vision to grow the company included a plan to create a town that would attract potential employees to live, work and play.  This officially manifested as the Architecture Program under the guise of Cummins Foundation, an experimental program designed to encourage good design for the town’s public buildings.  Should you choose a designer from the program’s approved list of architects, Cummins Foundation would cover the architect’s design fees.

To date, over 50 buildings have been built in Columbus thanks to the Architecture Program.  Schools and fire stations comprise most of the list, but the program’s greatest success was attracting private citizens, companies, churches, and banks to invite some of these approved designers to build their own structures.

Eero and Eliel Saarinen, I. M. Pei, Kevin Roche, Robert Venturi, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and Gunnar Birkerts are just a few of the architects that have been commissioned for work in Columbus.  During this visit, I chose not to visit what is arguably the town’s most famous work, the Miller House and Gardens.  I’m sure I would enjoy the home during any season, but I wanted an excuse to come back in the summer and attempt to make some photographs.  With that said, I did see some spectacular pieces of architecture.

If you ever happen to be in or near Columbus, I recommend at least visiting Eero Saarinen’s North Christian Church.  I recently watched a presentation highlighting some of his best projects throughout his short-lived career, and the presenter noted the approach to John Deere’s Headquarters in Moline, IL.  He compared it to that of a English country home in which you see the structure in the distance, then through a series of twists and turns, it disappears and reappears again as you get closer.  The way that I drove to North Christian Church created a similar experience and it was unforgettable.

The interior is an equally moving experience.  Unlike many churches, you walk up a short flight of stairs to enter the congregation space that mirrors the hexagonal shape of the exterior.  The altar is in the very center with pews surrounding it on all sides, creating an intimate, community-like atmosphere.

North Christian Church in Columbus, Indiana by Eero Saarinen. Photo by Jason Woods.

Interior of North Christian Church in Columbus, Indiana by Eero Saarinen. Photo by Jason Woods.

First Financial Bank (formerly Irwin Union Bank & Trust) in Columbus, Indiana by Harry Weese. Photo by Jason Woods.

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Columbus, Indiana. Photo by Jason Woods.

First Christian Church in Columbus, Indiana by Eliel Saarinen. Photo by Jason Woods.

Interior of First Christian Church in Columbus, Indiana by Eliel Saarinen. Photo by Jason Woods.

The Republic in Columbus, Indiana by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Photo by Jason Woods.

First Financial Bank (formerly Irwin Union Bank) in Columbus, Indiana by Deborah Berke. Photo by Jason Woods.