University United Methodist Church

The limestone edifice of the University United Methodist Church has stood at the corner of 24th and Guadalupe since 1909. Its auditorium-style sanctuary sits within the heavy masonry and rounded arches typical of Romanesque Revival buildings of the early 20th century.

Since 1909, the stately limestone edifice of University United Methodist Church has stood as a landmark on the corner of 24th Street and Guadalupe, just north of the University of Texas. The building’s design has had a profound impact on the architecture of Austin, establishing a material language that continues to define the look of Austin to this day. As one of the many university churches surrounding the UT campus, University United Methodist Church serves as a spiritual home for students and the surrounding community given its prominent location on “the Drag,” one of the most active streets in the city.

The building’s design owes much to the Richardsonian Romanesque style (see Trinity Church in Boston for a prime example of H. H. Richardson’s religious architecture). Semicircular arches, heavy block, and squat columns with strong ornamentation, as well as contrasting masonry with heavy rustication, are hallmarks of the style present in the design by Frederick M. Mann. Mann did not merely emulate the style, however. Rather, he translated it into local materials and borrowed from other influences that developed in similar climes, in response to the local climate.

In this light, the church’s most distinctive elements are the Spanish Mediterranean-inspired red tile roofs—with large overhanging eaves—and the use of light-colored, local Central Texas limestone (rather than Richardson’s distinctive dark red stone and brick). These elements are found on buildings across the University of Texas campus and all over Austin today. It was this design that inspired the University of Texas campus planners and architects to adopt a similar language, most notably in the design of UT’s original main library (now Battle Hall) by Cass Gilbert, completed in 1911 and later adopted as a cornerstone of UT’s architectural standards and master plan.

On the interior, the main worship space takes the form of an auditorium-style hall, with balconies encircling a large projecting platform for the pulpit. The central prominence of the pulpit and the visual and acoustic clarity of the space reflects the church’s emphasis on the word, on teaching, and on education—fitting for a congregation so closely associated with the university next door.

As a Reconciling Congregation, University United Methodist Church affirms “the call of the gospel of Jesus Christ to be in ministry with all people of all races, gender identities, sexualities, ages, immigration status, and physical conditions.” The congregation has a long history of ministry to those experiencing homelessness, further integrating the church into life on the Drag. – Jason John Paul Haskins, AIA