In Honor of Central United Protestant Church (2016)

In Honor of Central United Protestant Church (2016). . This Sanctuary has been placed on the Washington Heritage Register by the Governor’s Council on Historic Preservation as of February 5, 2016. Built in 1964, the Sanctuary is tied directly to the “Manhattan Project” with the establishment of the Hanford Engineering Works in the mid-1940’s. For its unique design by noted Seattle church architect Robert C. Durham, the Sanctuary received a national architectural award in 1964. Central United Protestant Church holds the distinction of being the second post world war two church to be listed on the Washington Heritage Register in the State., With the influx of 25,000 people into Richland in 1943, Colonel Franklin Matthias proposed the construction of two army style chapels, one Catholic, the other to be shared by the 11 Protestant congregations, each with one hour service on Sunday. This problem was taken to the denominational leaders of the Washington State Council of Churches where they determined the 11 denominations join together in a single Sunday service and establish a full time church program. The 11 congregations established in the area since 1905 and with the largest congregation, were requested to accept the responsibility for the new church to be known as the United Protestant Church. In 1947 when Richland was declared a permanent community, five of the denominations broke away to form their own United Protestant Churches. At that time the Methodist sponsored church became Central United Protestant Church.