First Methodist Church (1005 Stover St.)
April is Architecture Month! Celebrate by learning about one of Fort Collins’ iconic mid-century modern churches—First United Methodist (1005 Stover St.).
The Methodists formed the first congregation in Fort Collins in 1864. For decades, they worshipped on the corner of College Avenue and Olive Street, expanding the church multiple times to accommodate their growing congregation, but by the late 1950s there was no more room.
Like many other religious institutions across the United States, the Methodist church’s membership had grown significantly after World War II. Participation in religious activities was considered an essential element of American life during this era, and historians suggest several reasons for this dramatic shift. Some point to the baby boom; selecting a religious institution and attending weekly services may have been a traditional rite of passage for the growing number of young families. Other historians note the threat of nuclear war caused a turn toward the safety of family, home, and religion.
In either case, as congregations grew, religious centers struggled to accommodate everyone who wanted to attend services within their pre-World War II buildings. Early twentieth century churches were generally located between residential and commercial areas; when those commercial areas expanded, religious centers found themselves surrounded by busy streets with no room for expansion. In addition, many congregants had moved away from city centers to outlying suburbs. Religious centers followed their members, buying large tracts of land in new suburbs or on the outskirts of town.
First United Methodist purchased a large plot of land at Elizabeth and Stover Streets in 1960. The site had previously supported the Colorado State University experimental farm; to prepare the site for construction, the farm’s headquarters building, a stone house along Garfield Street that had been home to two mayors and several early Fort Collins residents, was demolished.
William Robb, one of Fort Collins most prominent mid-century architects, designed the sprawling new church complex. His design featured a distinctive folded plate roof formed by 12 “folds” that created a triangular pattern; the pattern was repeated by triangular stained-glass windows under the eaves. The complex also included an octagonal chapel, two-story classroom wing, free standing tower, and offices. The total cost of construction was estimated at $900,000 (about $9.5 million in 2026). The church was completed in 1964 and could seat 800 attendees with overflow seating for an additional 500.
The church constructed a small addition in 1998, but the building remains almost exactly as it looked in 1964. It is eligible for listing as a local landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places but does not currently have any historic designations.
(Photo: Joe E. Clark, "First United Methodist Chuch - 1005 Stover Street, Fort Collins, Colorado," 1960s-1970s, H28858, FCMoD)
