FAIRPLAY, Colo. — The South Park Community Church has been a big part of the Fairplay community for more than a century, and pastor Kenny Shaw says it’s an upcoming service they are celebrating.
“We have a great heritage with people working hard to look out for the community,” said Shaw.
The church was started in 1872, and was built in 1874 from a kit brought in by train. South Park Community Church still looks much like it did back then and is one of the few like it still standing.
“Just even touching these pews and thinking over a 150 years, how many people have been in this space,” said Shaw.
Over the years, they’ve found old newspapers with reports of a lack of snow. In the attic, you can still see some of the original 150-year-old wallpaper. The church is so rare it has gotten international attention from people looking to build historic models of it.
“I received an email from a model train club in New Zealand,” said Shaw. “They asked for more information about the church so they could make a scale model for their train setup.”
Now the Fairplay community is celebrating the anniversary with an open house after their Sunday worship on September 18, and with a homecoming weekend at the end of October.
“There are so many connections to the church,” said Shaw. “People who have been married here or their great uncle was a pastor here. There are always people pulling up to take pictures of the church.”
The South Park Community Church was started by Presbyterian missionary Sheldon Jackson, who is credited with establishing more than 100 congregations across the western United States.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: 9NEWS Mornings