The New Hope Baptist Church - Denver, CO
The parishioners at the New Hope Baptist Church (founded in Denver in 1922) had, for many years, struggled in an inner city, run down environment that severely limited their ability to grow, to preach and to foster an aire of community relations. Reverend Dr. James D. Peters, Jr., the Pastor of the community in 1993, came to Robert Fitzgerald with a strictly limited budget and an unlimited enthusiasm. He worked hard over many years to raise the funds to buy a vacant lot on Colorado Boulevard but worried that there was not nearly enough money to construct a church grand enough for his constituency to support in an ongoing fundraising effort.
Fitzgerald prepared simple schemes utilizing several different styles (Modern, Art Deco, "Classic House of Worship - symmetrical", and even Colonial) for the church board to consider. He also suggested that their current home contained many beautiful stained glass windows and doors that could be removed and utilized in the new building - thus saving on the cost of ornament and linking the new building with the history and memory of the old. The cross motif, suggested in both plan and elevation throughout the new church, is consistent with the teachings of the Southern Baptists that Christ was resurrected in glory and thus should not be depicted upon the crucifix. The building's interiors also reflect this teaching and were also designed by Fitzgerald, who crafted, along with some fine furniture makers, the lectern, alter, pastor's seating, choir rail and baptistery.
The church has since had a large addition to it designed by the original firm for whom Fitzgerald was employed as and Associate and Senior Designer. The addition follows closely along the theory and ideas first suggested in the "Classic House of Worship" scheme suggested by Fitzgerald.
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The parishioners at the New Hope Baptist Church (founded in Denver in 1922) had, for many years, struggled in an inner city, run down environment that severely limited their ability to grow, to preach and to foster an aire of community relations. Reverend Dr. James D. Peters, Jr., the Pastor of the community in 1993, came to Robert Fitzgerald with a strictly limited budget and an unlimited enthusiasm. He worked hard over many years to raise the funds to buy a vacant lot on Colorado Boulevard but worried that there was not nearly enough money to construct a church grand enough for his constituency to support in an ongoing fundraising effort.
Fitzgerald prepared simple schemes utilizing several different styles (Modern, Art Deco, "Classic House of Worship - symmetrical", and even Colonial) for the church board to consider. He also suggested that their current home contained many beautiful stained glass windows and doors that could be removed and utilized in the new building - thus saving on the cost of ornament and linking the new building with the history and memory of the old. The cross motif, suggested in both plan and elevation throughout the new church, is consistent with the teachings of the Southern Baptists that Christ was resurrected in glory and thus should not be depicted upon the crucifix. The building's interiors also reflect this teaching and were also designed by Fitzgerald, who crafted, along with some fine furniture makers, the lectern, alter, pastor's seating, choir rail and baptistery.
The church has since had a large addition to it designed by the original firm for whom Fitzgerald was employed as and Associate and Senior Designer. The addition follows closely along the theory and ideas first suggested in the "Classic House of Worship" scheme suggested by Fitzgerald.
