Wright on the Plaza

Once again I, Cute, strike out on my own to explore one of our local gems, right here in River City. (Cutest was, bless her heart, happily preparing for out-of-town guests.)

Frank Lloyd Wright, the architect whom many people either love or hate, designed a church for a congregation here on the Plaza. In 1939, fire destroyed the Community Christian church at 46th and Main, whose name before that was the Linwood Boulevard Christian Church.

The small but plucky congregation reached out to nationally known architect Wright, asking him to design a replacement church structure. He accepted, for a large fee.

Work began in 1940. However, due to war-time material shortages and the congregation’s limited budget, several of Wright’s ideas were either scaled back or eliminated. Even with those obstacles, construction moved forward and in 1942, the steel and Gunite edifice was dedicated.

To see things up close, I went on one of the free tours that the church offers on some weekends.  You have the option of joining a guided tour group or exploring on your own. I always prefer the latter, giving me the opportunity to seek out hidden nooks and crannies.

Over the eighty plus years that this structure has stood, several additions and alterations have taken shape. Fortunately most of Wright’s original implemented plans remain. The main sanctuary is where many of Wright’s ideas can be seen. The diamond shaped altar base is backed up by a choir loft, hidden by slanted, somewhat kite-shaped “windows.”

Behind a wall, a steep, brass, spiral staircase once led the choir to the loft, which had to be a perilous journey, especially if they were robe-clad. Another feat of bravery involved brides walking down the extremely steep aisle that terminated at the altar. High heels and a long trailing wedding gown had to have been a cause of elevated heart rates.

Wright’s original plans show blue printed shafts of lights beamed up into the cosmos from the church’s roof. Once again, limited funds kept the lights from becoming reality until 1996. Some 40,000 volts of electricity are harnessed to illuminate 300 million candle power of light, which are visible on weekend nights. If you want to learn more, go to https://community4kc.org/visit/frank-lloyd-wright.

I could expound on many more details but our blogs are meant to be read over a cup of coffee, not a pot. Take the tour yourself. See if you can find, without assistance, the baptismal location. (Hint, it’s right beneath your feet. Bigger hint, see below.)

And stay tuned. This week, Cutest and I are planning to experience the soccer Fan Fest and a match at Arrowhead. The latter should be exhilarating as our match seats are on the incoming flight path to MCI.