Uptown on the Hill Association

Temple Events Center Celebrates Centennial

Mar 18, 1999

THE elegant, Moorish style structure that houses the Temple Events Center Uptown turned 100 in January, and the occasion was marked by a festive afternoon of celebration and entertainment.

Located at the corner of East 16th Avenue and Pearl Street, the 1899-vintage building was the third home of Denver's Temple Emanuel Congregation, which today worships at 51 Grape Street.

Distinguished by its copper-domed minarets and large stained-glass windows, the Temple Events Center was designed by architect John Humphrey, and sports a 1911 Estey pipe organ, the oldest in the country with its originally equipped parts.

Long History of Adaptive Uses

Temple Emanuel occupied the structure from 1899 to 1955, when it was MWd to the First Southern Baptist Church which in turn sold the building to Lovingway Pentecostal Church in 1977. After being sold to a private developer in 1982, the building faced imminent demolition. With intervention by the City of Denver and private interests, the building was saved, and in 198-3 the Pearl StreetTemple Emanuel Foundation was established to transform the former synagogue into a multi-use community center for artistic, cultural and civic activities.

The center's 9-50-seat auditorium and 6,000 squarefoot ballroom are available for rental and capable of accommodafing a range of events, such as theatrical productions, concerts, lectures, wedding ceremonies and receptions, and other functions.
For more information, or a schedule of current engagements, dance instructional programs and social events, call the Temple Events Center at 303-860-9400.