The building at 803 10th Ave. is quite important to Greeley’s religious history. Currently the home of Saint Patrick’s Presbyterian Church, the site underwent many changes throughout its history that can be traced back to the Union Colony.

Old Park Church was one of the original church sites of the Union Colony and where many of Greeley’s early pioneers worshiped. The first services were held in May 1870 in the then unfinished Union Colony building and by September 15, 1870, Greeley’s First Congregational Church was organized.

Two years later, by October 1872 services were held in an adobe building on 9th Avenue facing Lincoln Park that was known as Park House and was previously a hotel. The name of this building would stick and was referred to as the Park Church.

On July 18, 1880, ground was broken for a new building at 10th Avenue and 8th Street and the building was completed and dedicated on September 17, 1883.

Image 1970_02_0179 shows how the building looked in 1926.

The current building as we see it today that is located at 803 10th Ave., was built for the First Congregational Church from 1906-07, having outgrown the space as it was originally built in 1883. The new structure would envelope the original 1883 structure in such a way that it preserved the building’s original design.

The congregation continued to grow and built a second story addition over the south classroom in 1936 that was designed by T. Robert Wagner, an architect from Denver. In August 1937, the addition was completed as shown in image C1_1970.22.0022.499. The renovations included the installation of a $3,000 pipe organ and the capacity for up to 700 parishioners.

Once again the congregation outgrew the building. In 1955 they decided to build a larger church at 16th Street and 21st Avenue. Their new building was completed and dedicated in 1956 and the organ was relocated to the new building at 2102 10th St. Today the church in this building is known as the First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ.

In May 1955, the Swedish Covenant Church purchased the building located at 803 10th St., and occupied the building on March 1, 1956. They eventually changed their name to First Covenant Church.

First Covenant Church remained in the building until September 1984, when they closed the church due to low parish enrollment and financial difficulties.

This photo shows what the building looked like after the addition was complete.

In 1986, Foursquare Church purchased the building at 803 10th St., after having leased it in 1985. There’s a cement marker on the east side of the building with the name Fourquare.

In 2003, the City of Greeley Historic Preservation program added the building to the Greeley Historic Register and listed it as the “Old Park Church.”  The building has characteristics of Gothic Revival and Tudor Revival architectural styles, including a parapet with castellation topped by stone caps.

In 2004, Saint Patrick Presbyterian Church purchased the church building and remains at this location today.

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Written by Katalyn Lutkin, senior museum aide, and Kim Overholt, museum marketing

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