Then & Now – the History of Aspen Community Church

The church is one of Aspen’s most distinctive buildings, a massive structure built of Frying Pan Valley sandstone, with a large round tower and buttresses in the style of an ancient castle. Located on the corner of Aspen and Bleeker streets, the originally Presbyterian church was built in 1890 at a cost of $20,000. As imposing as the exterior may be, the sanctuary has an unexpected poetic beauty. There are oaken pews and colorful stained-glass windows. 

The church’s cornerstone is a great white block that strongly contrasts with the red walls. It encases a vault containing a Bible, a copy of the official Presbyterian newspaper, some city papers, and the names of all the church officers and workmen who completed the building. 

In the 1920s as the population of Aspen dwindled, the small Presbyterian and Methodist congregations merged into a federated church. In 1934, the federated church in Loma Colorado became Presbyterian and the Aspen Federated Church became Methodist, and the church is served by United Methodist pastors to this day.