Written by Phil Wala
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:
On Sunday, May 18, we will have the rare opportunity to visit an impressive building that was, from June 1911 to June 1915, the home of Hennepin Avenue Church. As a part of “Doors Open Minneapolis,” the Scottish Rite Masons, who have owned the building since 1915, will open this building to the public for one day only, on May 18, 2025. And in honor of Hennepin’s 150th anniversary, they have graciously agreed to offer three tours designed especially for Hennepin Avenue Church members and friends, focusing on the building’s Methodist history. These tours will be conducted at 12, 2, and 4 pm. Space is limited to 25 people per tour, so sign up early to reserve your spot. To see the event on Hennepin’s website and access the sign-up link, click here: https://haumc.org/event/scottish-rite-temple-tours/
Here’s some background on the history of the building. In 1893, a new church was organized to serve the growing Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis. Fowler Methodist Church secured property at the corner of Franklin and Dupont, and began work on a building. The first portion to be completed, in 1894, was a lower-level Sunday School auditorium. This served as the place of worship until 1898, when the Fowler Chapel was completed. The chapel, above the Sunday School auditorium, included a small balcony.
It wasn’t until December 1907 that final phase of the project was completed: a majestic domed sanctuary seating 1,500, touted as “one of the finest of any denomination in the northwest.” At its dedication, local newspapers heaped praise on the magnificently crafted stained-glass windows, the 2500-pipe cathedral organ, and the solid mahogany platform and pews. Topping off the building were two imposing 100-foot towers, one of which housed a 3,160-pound church bell. The Minneapolis Journal wrote that the edifice conveyed a “feeling of strength and permanence.”
Little did anyone at the time realize that the Fowler congregation would occupy this impressive (and expensive) structure for only seven-and-a-half years. In 1911, the Fowler and Hennepin Avenue congregations agreed to merge. For four years our congregations met together in the magnificent Fowler sanctuary. Then in 1915, the Fowler building was sold to the Scottish Rite Masons, and the cathedral at Groveland and Lyndale became our new home.
The Masons have preserved all of the original stained-glass windows and much of the architecture. So sign up for one of the tours on May 18 and imagine what worship at Hennepin Church might have been like 110 years ago!
1890 (May 4)
This week we are sharing some of the old church bulletins found in our archives. This is the earliest bulletin we’ve been able to find. Hennepin Church had been founded only 14½ years ago, and the red brick church on Tenth and Hennepin was only 7½ years old. Our pastor was Dr. Otis Tiffany, the Chautauqua Circle was hosted by charter member Anna Harrison Goheen, and Hugh Galbraith Harrison, another charter member, is listed as one of the trustees. Goheen and Harrison are names you see in church every week.¹ Click the picture to see the complete bulletin.
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¹ See the 1918 item in this post to find out where!
1911 (April 30)
Hennepin Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church at Tenth and Hennepin has an extraordinary announcement to share on the second page of its Sunday bulletin. Click the picture to see the complete bulletin.
1917 (May 3)
The Hennepin Church art gallery, displaying religious art donated by T. B. Walker, was opened to the public on Christmas Day 1915 but was not formally dedicated until May 3, 1917. Click the picture to see the complete bulletin for the dedication ceremony.
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Note: the bulletin has a typo in the name of the painting shown on the front. The correct phrase is “Ecce Homo” (“Behold the Man’).
1918 (May 5)
Earlier we mentioned that if you attend worship services at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, you see the names Anna Harrison Goheen and Hugh Galbraith Harrison every week – at least if you’re observant (and have good eyesight). The “Resurrection” stained-glass window to the left of the chancel is dedicated to the memory of Anna Goheen, known as “the mother of Methodism in Minneapolis” as a result of her tireless efforts and extravagant generosity on behalf of the church. The “Ascension” window to the right of the chancel is dedicated to H. G. Harrison, another charter member of the church, mayor of Minneapolis 1868-69, and brother of Anna Goheen. These windows were installed about a year-and-a-half after the building was dedicated. Click the picture of the bulletin for May 5, 1918, to see the full program for the dedication exercises.
