Written by Phil Wala
The Fowler Church Building–Then and Now
This week we wrap up our five-week focus on the 1911 merger of Fowler Methodist Episcopal Church and Hennepin Avenue Church. On May 18, Hennepin members were treated to special tours of the Fowler Church building, now the Scottish Rite Center at Franklin and Dupont Avenues, which was the home of Hennepin Avenue Church from June 1911 to June 1915. Ken Carroll, who led the tours, is the organization’s leading expert on the history of the building. We owe a great debt of thanks to Ken and the Scottish Rite Masons for all they have done to preserve this historic building that is a part of the Hennepin Church legacy. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Read the associated documentation and building specifications HERE.
Here are some photos of the building, shown in comparison with historical photos.
This is the view of the building from the southwest, on the Dupont Avenue side. Below that is a photo taken over 125 years ago while W. E. Gifford was pastor (1898-1899). At that time, Fowler Church had only completed the south portion of the building, known as the Fowler Chapel. The large auditorium on the north side was added in 1906-1907.
This photo shows the area beneath the chapel where Fowler Church held services from 1895 to 1898. When the chapel was completed, this became a Sunday School room and was also used for church suppers. The bottom photo was taken around 1914 when the eighteen primary classes of the merged Fowler and Hennepin Sunday Schools sat at separate tables, but all meeting in the same room. The three center windows in the 1914 photo are a match to the current photo. The window at the left appears to have originally featured the Greek letter alpha (next to the “omega” window).
This photo shows the auditorium platform which was once the chancel of the Fowler/Hennepin sanctuary. The original chancel, completed in 1907, was bell-shaped, with the organ pipes, choir risers, and organ console behind the pulpit.
This photo shows the northeast corner of the sanctuary. The Masons, who purchased the building in 1915, are still using some of the original pews that were once occupied by members of Hennepin Avenue Church.
Now, more news from this week in Hennepin history:
1874 (May 27)
Stories about the division within Centenary Methodist Church (forerunner of Hennepin Avenue Church) are displayed prominently in newspapers across the state. This is how an article in the St. Paul Evening Dispatch begins, a full year before the notorious “fistfight” incident. The term “smelling committee” refers to those who were “sniffing around” for evidence they could use against the person they opposed. For the full story behind what the Dispatch called the “scandal of Methodism” watch for the upcoming book on the history of our church, available later this year.
1892 (May 27)
The hospital that was the dream of Hennepin Church member Sarah Harrison Knight will soon open in the former University of Minnesota Medical College building, free of debt. It will be named Asbury Hospital in honor of Knight’s father, church pioneer Thomas Asbury Harrison. Eventually it will move to St. Louis Park and be renamed “Methodist Hospital.” (Minneapolis Tribune)
1907 (May 26)
Pastor Fayette Thompson has left Hennepin Church to take a position in St. Louis, and the newly appointed pastor, Andrew Gillies, will not be available until September. For the summer, the pulpit will be filled by Dr. Camden M. Cobern, professor of religious studies at Allegheny University in Pennsylvania. (Minneapolis Journal)
1908 (May 25)
The Minneapolis Journal reports on a near tragedy affecting a local church. Which church was it? What exactly happened? And how does it fit into the history of Hennepin Avenue Church? Watch for the answer, later this year.
1914 (May 24)
The cornerstone is laid for the new Hennepin Avenue Church at Groveland and Lyndale. A “great downtown work” is anticipated. (Minneapolis Journal)
1927 (May 27)
Among the artifacts kept in the archives of Hennepin Church are old baptismal records. These entries show that on Sunday, May 27, 1927, pastor Lucius Bugbee baptized two brothers named James King Aurness and Peter Duesler Aurness. Both of these brothers would go on to successful acting careers in Hollywood.
This photo shows Peter and James with their father Rolf about 50 years later.
1947 (May 27)
A memorial service is held to honor servicemen and women from Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church, including the seventeen who gave their lives during World War II. Click HERE to read the full program.
