Aesthetic and Functional Considerations of Architectural Steeples

When you close your eyes and picture a beautiful church, one of the first features to pop into your head is probably a church steeple. Steeples are popular in churches across Europe and the Americas; but steeples don't just look beautiful, they also serve a functional purpose. In decades past, steeples made churches the tallest buildings in a town. Before skyscrapers and highrises, this helped people easily find the nearest place of worship. The most straightforward description of a steeple refers to a tall structure with a pointed spire on top of it which is usually made of stone, brick, or metal.

Steeples are usually found in Christian churches; and in fact, they are so common in churches that the idea of a 'steeple' is usually associated with religion and religious buildings. Church steeples date back thousands of years, and some scholars believe they originated in ancient Egypt or ancient Rome. They have been important in Christianity since Roman Emporer Constantine's Edict of Milan in 131 AD. In more recent history, they were found in churches in western Europe as opposed to eastern European countries like Austria where domes were more popular than steeples. The American steeple as we know it became popular when settlers used it in colonial times, as they often built wooden churches in the middle of their settlements and towns. Colonial churches were usually white because colonists did not have metal which was used to build churches in Europe. Protecting the wood from where it was whitewashed created the white wooden churches and steeples that are recognizable today. Compared to European steeples, American steeples were humbler and less professionally crafted. Bigger steeples were used to signify more important churches and helped distinguish churches from smaller parishes.

Besides making churches easier to spot, steeples also serve a symbolic purpose. With their impressive height, they draw your eye upward and towards heaven. In this way, steeples turn churches into visual reminders of some of the beliefs and values that are central to Christianity. The general simplicity of steeples is also significant to Christians, who believe that the most important part of a church is not its outward appearance but the worship that happens inside. Church bells, which announced the time to townspeople and served as a reminder to worship, are sometimes housed inside church steeples. Steeples enhance the beauty of churches all over the world. From the grand pole steeple styles of old Europe to the modest wooden American steeples, this architectural feature is an important part of many people's understanding of Christianity. By understanding the meaning and history behind this architectural feature, you're likely to appreciate the next steeple church you see even more.