In the late 1960s, authorities at Christ Episcopal Church declared their original church building, a Gothic-style structure completed in 1889, to be structurally unsafe. This made way for parishioners to build a new, dramatically different (and controversial) church structure. The new sanctuary was completed and dedicated in 1969. The modern sanctuary, designed by renowned Brutalist architect Paul Thiry, stands in sharp contrast to the traditional building that preceded it. The building’s simple, plain concrete interior is reminiscent of the stark early Christian basilicas and its modernity is an affirmation of spiritual life in an atomic age. (Adapted from the Christ Episcopal Church website)