The Center, 201 W. Market Street

From Churches to Youth Center: The Heartbeat of West Market Street

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝑼𝒔:

“The United Brethren in Christ Church purchased this lot in the late 1890s and built the church which was dedicated on May 11, 1902.

In October 1946 there was a union between the United Brethren in Christ and the Evangelical Church which created the Evangelical United Brethren Church. April 1968 saw the merger of the EUB and the Methodist Churches on a national level. The congregations of the two denominations walked to the courthouse, whereupon the Methodists welcomed and escorted the EUB members to the Methodist Church. The EUB building then functioned as a part of the United Methodist program.

“The building was purchased in 1971 by the Church of the Nazarene, but by 1998 they had outgrown it. Community of Hope was the next occupant of the building, and it also experienced rapid growth. It decided to move into the recently vacated Methodist Church building. As the church contemplated moving, the idea of a youth-based ministry became a reality. Its growth started with the ‘5th Quarter,’ a place for the youth to go after the high school ball games.

The Community Foundation of Whitley County awarded a grant to The Center for Whitley County Youth in 2004 allowing the hiring of a director and in 2006 The Center was incorporated. It became a nonprofit in 2008 and in 2011 was able to purchase the building from Community of Hope. It continues to be a positive influence on the youth of Whitley County yet today in 2021.”

This excerpt is from “Around the Square” written by Pam Koch and published by the Whitley County Historical Museum. Copies are available for purchase at the museum, located at 108 W. Jefferson St. in Columbia City.

Thank you to the Whitley County Historical Museum for sharing photos from its collection.

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝑾𝒆: 𝑨𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚

These arches are accentuated by the brick diaper work on the enclosed panel. These arches are part of the façade of The Center for Whitley County Youth, previously the Church of the Nazarene, at 201 West Market Street.

The building was originally constructed in the 1890s but was extensively remodeled by 1927 into its current appearance.

The triple arched windows framed by an overall wall arch are illustrative of a Romanesque style, while the decorative buttresses on the tower are more Gothic.

Representing facets of popular 1920s styles are the lighter tinted brick and the decorative diaper work of herringbone pattern over the doorways and the brick headers in the roundels in the wall arches.

Overall, the building has a unique mix of architecture and styles that contributes to the liveliness of downtown Columbia City.

Thank you to Nathan Bilger for providing the recent photos and valuable insights into the architectural history.

For more interesting historical information about downtown Columbia City, check out Where are We Wednesdays: Where Are We? Archives – Columbia City Connect