8th Street Church

Blending History and New Beginnings for a Church Community

ADG Blatt designed 8th Street Church as a renovation to the historic German Methodist Church that sat vacant since 1975. The re-enlivened church has been totally restored with a new elevator, restrooms and plumbing, heat and air, and chandeliers. The stained-glass windows were donated by Anton Classen in 1907 and were protected during the rigorous restoration process.

Downstairs, the space has been reconfigured and upgraded to accommodate a nursery, a toddler room, church offices, a small kitchen and a large flexible fellowship hall. Accessibility has been improved with the addition of an at-grade entrance on the northeast corner near new parking, as well as a new elevator. Lighting along the corridor linkage is via repurposed lamps discovered above the drop ceiling once the decision was made to add height to make the narrow space more inviting.