Fort Lowell Union Church
Fort Lowell Union Church, located in the Old Fort Lowell neighborhood of Tucson, in the U.S. state of Arizona, was constructed in 1917 from mud adobe. It served as a religious, cultural, and social hub for the local ranching and farming community. The building, designed in a late Sonoran Transitional Territorial style, is simple yet artistic and became a centerpiece in the historic area of Fort Lowell in the early to mid 20th century, fostering community engagement and spiritual growth for over a century.
History and founding
The idea for the Fort Lowell Union Church was spearheaded by Edward C. Clark, an Anglican lay reader at Grace Episcopal Church and associated with St. Luke's Home. Clark envisioned creating a community church in the rural Fort Lowell area, and by 1916, he had raised $1,000 to begin the construction. On April 1, 1917, construction of the small adobe chapel began. The property was donated by J. Knox Corbett, a prominent local figure who owned the nearby farm, and the funds to build the church were raised by the local community.The original church building measured 20 x 40 feet and faced south, with its entrance directed toward the Roman Catholic Chapel of Rillito , which had been consecrated in 1916. The Union Church and the Catholic chapel, along with the 1913 Fort Lowell School, adobe houses, and a store, helped form the informal plaza known as El Fuerte. The church trustees included J.C. Daly, Franklin Ulrich, and E. C. H. Walker.
Building and architecture
The Fort Lowell Union Church was constructed from traditional mud adobe, a common building material in the American Southwest and in Fort Lowell, known for its thermal insulation properties. The church featured a rectangular plan with a double front door facing south. The building's design included a pitched roof with exposed rafter tails, a prominent brick chimney on the west side, and double hung divided four light sash windows, on the east and west sides of the structure. Over time, the church underwent several modifications, including a mud adobe western addition for a hall and support rooms, and a plastered exterior with a front porch added after World War II.Dedication ceremony
The church was completed and officially dedicated on June 24, 1917, with around 100 people in attendance. During the ceremony, Edward C. Clark offered a dedication prayer, and various clergy from Tucson churches, including Revs Clifford Binkhorst, Dixon, Comstock, and Purves, participated. John C. Daly, one of the trustees, donated a bas-relief of the San Xavier Mission, symbolizing the missionary principle. The pulpit used during services was a historic piece, having been gifted by the congregation of the old Congregational Church in Tucson.Community role
The Fort Lowell Union Church quickly became a social center for the local community. It hosted musical programs, lectures, and events, organized by Clark, and became a gathering place for religious and intellectual activities. During World War I, the church supported Red Cross lectures, contributing to the war effort by educating the public.In the 1930s, the church remained a vital part of the Fort Lowell community. Social events like Democratic rallies and fairs were held at the church, while local organizations, including the Palo Verde Mission Choir and the Homemakers Club, used the space for their meetings.
Mission church tradition
The Fort Lowell Union Church is an example of a mission church in the tradition of the American Southwest. This tradition dates back to the Spanish colonization of the region, when missionaries established adobe churches to serve both indigenous populations and settlers in remote areas. Drawing inspiration from this historical precedent, the Fort Lowell Union Church was conceived as a community-oriented mission church, embodying the ideals of service, outreach, and unity in a rural frontier setting.Edward C. Clark, the church's founder, was deeply influenced by the missionary principles of Christian service, and he sought to provide a place of worship for the diverse population of the Fort Lowell area, which included Anglo, Hispanic, and Native American residents. His dedication to the mission of the church was symbolized by the bas-relief of the San Xavier Mission donated by trustee John C. Daly at the church's dedication in 1917. This relief connected the new church to the long tradition of missionary work in the Southwest, epitomized by the San Xavier del Bac Mission, a key spiritual and cultural landmark in the Tucson area.
The Fort Lowell Union Church followed the undemonstrative architecture typical of early mission churches, with a simple rectangular adobe structure and minimal adornments. Its mud adobe construction, typical of Southwest mission churches, not only reflected the resourcefulness of early settlers but also symbolized the church's integration with the natural landscape and cultural history of the region.
As a mission church, the Fort Lowell Union Church embodied a tradition of outreach and community service, supporting spiritual growth, education, and social cohesion in an isolated part of Tucson. It provided an inclusive, non-denominational space for worship, which allowed it to unify the community in a way that transcended religious divides. This inclusive mission became central to the church's identity as a social center and spiritual hub for the community throughout the 20th century, a role it continues to play in the Old Fort Lowell neighborhood. By embracing the mission church tradition, the Fort Lowell Union Church not only maintained the spiritual values associated with early missionary work in the region but also adapted these values to meet the needs of a modern, growing community in Tucson.