page_title: Solon Spencer Beman
section_title: Christian Science
hierarchical_section_title: Solon Spencer Beman / Christian Science
caption_attribution_description: English: University Child Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh. Building is a former Church of Jesus Christ, Scientist church.40°26′53.3″N 79°56′42.5″W&#xfeff; / &#xfeff;40.448139°N 79.945139°W
context_page_description: Solon Spencer Beman was an American architect based in Chicago, Illinois and best known as the architect of the planned Pullman community and adjacent Pullman Company factory complex. Several of his other largest commissions, including the Pullman Office Building, Pabst Building, and Grand Central Station in Chicago, have since been demolished. Beman designed numerous Christian Science churches and influenced the design of countless more.
context_section_description: Solon S. Beman had a long involvement with Christian Science. He was grateful to the church, which he credited with healing his wife's invalidism, and in 1897 he designed the First Church of Christ, Scientist (Chicago), at 4017 South Drexel Boulevard. Based on his Merchant Tailors building for the World's Columbian Exposition, the Neoclassical style of the church would have a profound influence on the architecture selected by many Christian Science congregations during their period of greatest construction, which had begun in 1894 with the Mother Church in Boston and would continue until 1930.
  Beman oversaw the construction of the Mother Church Extension (Boston, 1904-1906) after the original architect, Charles Brigham, became too ill to proceed and went to Bermuda to recover. With the church's agreement, Beman revamped the design, minimizing what he saw as mystical influences from Ottoman and Byzantine architecture, recasting it into the Classical architectural style that he saw as best suited to Christian Science beliefs.
  Beman converted to Christian Science, and designed at least a dozen other Christian Science churches across the country, and an addition to Mary Baker Eddy's Last Home.
  In 1904, he designed Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist, at 4840 South Dorchester Avenue in Chicago.
caption: The former First Church of Christ, Scientist (Pittsburgh), constructed in 1904, shows the classical style favored by Beman for Christian Science. It now serves as the University of Pittsburgh's Child Development Center.
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