CHPB to Celebrate Historic Preservation Month at First Presbyterian

Published on April 25, 2023

CHEYENNE – The Cheyenne Historic Preservation Board (CHPB) will present its annual LeClerq Jones Award to the First Presbyterian Church to recognize its efforts to preserve this historic Cheyenne structure. The open house will take place Saturday, May 6, from 1 to 3 p.m. at 220 W. 22nd St.

The First Presbyterian Church was founded by 9 members in 1869 and was dedicated on July 17, 1870, under the name of Krebs Memorial Presbyterian Church. They built a wood structure in 1870 that served the members until 1884 when they disassembled the wood structure, and it was moved by contractor M. P. Keefe across the street and was then known as Keefe Hall. In its place they built a brick structure, which was adjacent to the Maple Terrace Apartments. The brick sanctuary was razed in the 1920s to make way for the new limestone sanctuary you see today; completed in 1925.

The new sanctuary featured stained glass windows, gothic arches, and white oak woodwork throughout. The architect for the building was Frederic Hutchinson Porter, and the builder was J. R. McDonald and Son of Denver, Colorado. A beautiful memorial chapel in honor of the Presbyterian boys who gave their lives in World War II was dedicated on November 10, 1948. In 1961, the Christian Education wing was added to support their children’s education program. In 2015, the church started a new design to address several ADA issues and to provide maintenance to the historical features. The work was completed in 2022, which consisted of a new 1,285 square-foot addition to the main level, which now provides a defined, accessible main entryway to the church and renovations to the existing buildings built in 1923 & 1961.

The main level of the Christian Education building was completely refurbished to accommodate space for the Fellowship Hall, serving kitchen, and ministry offices. An elevator in the southwest corner anchors the three buildings together and provides accessibility to all four levels of the church, including the new missionary space on the basement level. The missionary space has four sleeping rooms, a common space, and a kitchen. The primary concentration of the renovation portion of the project was to bring the building up to code, which comprised a sprinkler system installed throughout, new egress paths, and a new fire alarm system.

The award is named for LeClerq Jones, an amateur historian who dedicated 35 years of his life documenting and preserving Cheyenne’s history through photos and newspaper clippings. His collection can be seen at the Laramie County Library.

For more information about the Cheyenne Historic Preservation Board, please visit the city’s website at www.cheyennecity.org/CHPB or on Facebook.

The Historic Preservation Board protects, enhances, and perpetuates historic structures and other areas of historical value while promoting the use of historic districts and landmarks for the community's education, pleasure, and welfare.

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