5 Most Beautiful Gothic Churches In Arkansas
Gothic architecture contributed to a great deal of cathedrals and chapels during the Middle Ages in Europe. It was notable for utilizing pointed arches, ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, and, of course, stained glass windows. This style would later be revived in Europe and in America with the Gothic Revival style. In the American frontier, this style would be adopted in a simpler way through Carpenter Gothic churches, which used the towers and pointed arches alongside light-frame construction and more austere decorations.
In the southern state of Arkansas, one can find many examples of Gothic churches across multiple denominations. United Methodists, African American Baptists, Catholics, and interdenominational groups all built churches here using the Gothic Revival style, often in unique ways. For example, one can find an austere Middle Eastern-looking Catholic Church, a majestic chapel hidden in the woods made of hundreds of windows, and other churches.
Read on to learn about 6 of the most beautiful Gothic churches in Arkansas.
First United Methodist Church
There have been multiple Methodist churches in Lockesburg, and the current First United Methodist Church is the fourth. It was first constructed in 1926 and showcases an impressive array of styles, including Gothic Revival, Classical, and Medieval Revival.
First United is a T-structure building, with a one-story sanctuary up front and the two-and-a-half-story section in the back. Some of its features include stained glass windows, Classical arched windows and a gable-roof aspect, and tracery windows. Its main window is made up of three arches, which sit right below a Florentine arch. Inside the church, it has plaster walls and dark-stained wood floors.
Despite still being an active church, the overall interior and exterior are much the same as when it was built. The National Register of Historic Places noted it as being remarkably well preserved.
Thorncrown Chapel
Thorncrown Chapel is Frank Lloyd Wright meets Notre Dame, and posits a style all its own: Ozark Gothic. A retired schoolteacher named Jim Reed hired architect E. Fay Jones to design a glass chapel inspired by the Gothic French church Sainte-Chappelle, which claimed to have contained the Crown of Thorns worn by Jesus during his crucifixion.
It sits just outside of Eureka Springs and features 425 windows to let in all of the natural light of its woodland environment. It is made of only organic materials such as Southern Pine and flagstone, along with a roof skylight. The beams criss-cross around the sanctuary, mimicking the shape of the crown of thorns itself. The church was finished in 1980 and today serves as an event and wedding locale as well as a non-denominational church.
All Souls Church
While many of the Gothic churches on this list were part of one denomination, some churches served multiple congregations. Such was the case with All Souls Church, built in 1906 in Scott, Arkansas. It would host preachers from the Methodist, Baptist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Disciples of Christ denominations, as none had the funds to support their own buildings.
The church was constructed by Charles L Thompson in the vernacular Gothic Revival Style. Visitors will be struck by its arched windows and roof, along with its half-timbered gable ends. It also has a traditional church steeple that one can find on many historic rural churches. The church has continued to stay in operation to this day and is proud of its interdenominational spirit. Its name is taken from Ezekiel 18:14, which reads, "Behold, all souls are Mine."
Immaculate Heart of Mary Church
Charles L Thompson is a familiar name in early 20th-century Arkansas architecture, as he is also responsible for the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Marche, just north of North Little Rock. The original church here was built in 1878, with a larger one constructed in 1896 but subsequently destroyed in a fire. Charles built the current church in 1932 in the Late Gothic Revival Style.
It is a brick-style chapel built on a stone foundation, including a cornerstone from the previous church. It's a simpler design than other Gothic churches, with a single tower topped by a metal spire and a cross. It has stained glass windows that are placed within gothic arches. It also has a large Gothic arch right at the entrance to the building.
This church was built at a time when men and women still sat on separate pews. Men and women could tell where to sit as the right side had a statue of the Virgin Mary and the left side had a statue of Jesus.
Centennial Baptist Church
Located in Helena, this 1905 church was inspired by medieval architecture and serves as a beautiful reminder of the African American Baptist legacy. It was once pastored by Elias Camp Morris, a former slave who went on to become a major figure in Baptist circles, even founding the National Baptist Convention USA. He wanted to create a Gothic-style church that was similar to the churches he saw during his travels in Europe.
A parishioner named Henry James Price designed the church and constructed it in 1905. It is a delightful brick structure, with two towers that both serve as entrances. In the center of the church are three pairs of Gothic lancet windows, which are separated from each other by buttresses. Above the center of the building is a round arch window. The church held its last service in 1995 and today is owned by the nonprofit E.C. Morris Foundation.
There's something about Gothic churches that inspires awe, even in simpler American styles like the All Souls Church. Despite being originally a Catholic style, it inspired denominations and people of all stripes to emulate it in their own places of worship. The style originally utilized its soaring structures to invoke the awe of the heavenly vault. However, these Arkansas congregations took the Gothic style and made it their own, whether that's through the mixture of styles at First United Methodist Church, the thornlike structure of the Thorncrown Chapel, or the traditional Centennial Baptist Church established by former slaves.
These beautiful Gothic churches are worth visiting for anyone with an interest in the American take on this Old-World style.
