Deco Wonder

Long before you reach the Tyson Methodist Temple in Versailles, you’ll be able to see its towering cast-aluminum spire — a filigreed pinnacle rising 100 feet above the ground. Below the spire, the 1937 Art Deco masterpiece presents a streamlined contrast to the town’s traditional nineteenth-century architecture. It’s surely one of Indiana’s most unusual religious landmarks.

(Photo: Lee Lewellen)

James Henry Tyson — Versailles native, devout Methodist, and co-founder of Walgreen Drug Company — commissioned the church in memory of his mother, a charter member of the town’s United Methodist congregation. Tyson’s travels in Europe and the Middle East influenced the structure’s forward-thinking design. An Egyptian influence is evident at the church’s temple-like entry, flanked by massive columns.

Builders eliminated wood in the church’s construction — except for furnishings — using only concrete, steel, glazed terra cotta brick, and glass tile. Though the congregation remains the United Methodist Church, the structure itself is known as a temple because “hammers were not heard” in its construction — a reference to Israel’s Holy Temple.

(Photo: Lee Lewellen)

Inside, worshipers gather under a vaulted ceiling painted blue and illuminated by reflected light to resemble a cloudless sky. Constellations and the North Star glow in gold and silver leaf, arranged to match the night sky on the day Tyson’s mother died.

The congregation welcomes visitors to worship services at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. every Sunday. For the latest information, call 812-689-6976 or visit the Tyson United Methodist Church Facebook page.