First Church of Christ, Scientist
The church served the changing community for several decades.
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In 1879, Mary Baker Eddy founded the Christian Science church, and it quickly spread to DC in 1895. After hosting their religious services in members’ homes and other denominations’ churches, the congregation decided to construct its own building. The resulting church at 1770 Euclid Street NW was completed in 1912 and served the congregation well into the 1970s. Designed in the Neoclassical style by architectural firm Marsh & Peter, under the direction of Edwin D. Ryerson, the building provided numerous benefits for the Christian Science church.
The congregation chose the Washington Heights site near 18th Street and Columbia Road because of its proximity to the streetcar lines and downtown DC; Christian Science had mainly appealed to the middle-class, and the church’s convenient location made it easier for congregants to attend services. The congregation thrived into the 1950s, but urban flight took a toll on the original congregation’s population. However, after a period of loss, the arrival of a growing Latino population in the area helped the church grow once again in the 1970s. The church offered Spanish services monthly, then weekly, to accommodate its new members.
The church left this building in favor of their other, smaller property across the street in the late 1970s, leaving the building unoccupied. After almost 25 years, though, a new developer has transformed the former church into a hotel, The LINE DC, purchasing the building in 2013 and opening in late 2017.
DC Inventory: October 2, 2014
National Register: January 27, 2015
Within Washington Heights Historic District
