A community church in Provo has been awarded a matching grant to preserve its historical buildings as part of an ongoing restoration project.
The Provo Community Congregational United Church of Christ has been located at 175 N. University Avenue for more than 130 years and has become an iconic structure among Provo’s downtown historic district. With a combination of Spanish colonial revival and mid-century modern architectural styles, the church was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.
For years, the church has been used for worship services, community events, interfaith activities, health clinics, service projects and various musical performances including from its two resident choirs, the Wasatch Chorale and the Utah Valley Interfaith Choir. The church has become a “cornerstone” to the Utah Valley community and an “anchor” for the downtown corridor, the church said in a statement.
The church’s two buildings, however, are in need of repair to preserve the historical architecture, a project the United Church of Christ has been working on for several years now.
The Cornerstone Restoration Project is a multi-phase initiative to preserve the downtown landmark through structural improvements and expand the use of the buildings to be a full community center that operates as a venue for music, arts, education, worship and service.
This month, the church announced it was awarded a matching grant through the city’s Certified Local Government Program, a program that supports historic preservation at the community level in partnership with the Utah State Historic Preservation Office.
“We are deeply grateful to Provo city and State Historic Preservation Office for their partnership and support,” said Dave Lewis, project lead for the Cornerstone Restoration effort. “This matching grant helps us preserve an important piece of Provo’s architectural and civic history.”
The church is launching a community-driven fundraising effort to collect money for the city grant to match.
“The stucco exterior on both buildings has deteriorated significantly in recent years, with visible cracking and spalling threatening the long-term integrity of the structures,” Lewis added. “This funding opportunity will enable critical preservation work to protect and restore the buildings’ historic facades — ensuring the church can continue serving as a spiritual and community gathering place in the heart of downtown Provo.”
The expansion aims to increase the church’s public presence by creating a “state-of-the-art facility within its historic structure,” the church said in a video about the restoration.
Plans include a new community gathering space, a fellowship hall, a bell tower with an elevator to increase access to all floors, and expansion to the sanctuary chancel that houses a historic 1892 pipe organ that the church “saved” from a Salt Lake City church.
“As we continue to build on and expand our community-focused mission, we’re excited to become a bigger area presence as a worship space, and a place of art, education, music and culture — welcoming all through our doors,” the church said.