The First Church of Christ, Scientist

The First Church of Christ, Scientist
The original Mother Church (1894) and behind it the domed Mother Church Extension (1906); on the right, the Colonnade building (1972). The reflecting pool is in the foreground.
42°20′40″N 71°05′06″W / 42.34443°N 71.084872°W / 42.34443; -71.084872
Location	Christian Science Center 250 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, Massachusetts[1]
Denomination	Christian Science
Website	The First Church of Christ, Scientist
History
Founder(s)	Mary Baker Eddy
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Franklin I. Welch (1894) Charles Brigham (1904–1906) S.S. Beman (1904–1906)
Architectural type	Romanesque (Original Mother Church); Italian Renaissance (Mother Church Extension)[2]
Groundbreaking	1893
Completed	1894 (Original Mother Church) 1906 (Mother Church Extension)[2]
Specifications
Capacity	900 (Original Mother Church) 3,000 (Mother Church Extension)[2]
Dome height (outer)	224 ft (68 m)[2]

The First Church of Christ, Scientist is the administrative headquarters and mother church of the Church of Christ, Scientist, also known as the Christian Science church. Christian Science was founded in the 19th century in Lynn, Massachusetts, by Mary Baker Eddy with the publication of her book Science and Health (1875).

The First Church of Christ, Scientist, is located in the 13.5-acre Christian Science Plaza in Boston, Massachusetts. The center is owned by the church and contains the Original Mother Church (1894); Mother Church Extension (1906); Christian Science Publishing House (1934), which houses the Mary Baker Eddy Library; Reflection Hall (1971); Administration Building (1972); and Colonnade Building (1972). There is also a reflecting pool and fountain.^[2]