Old Stone Church (Cleveland) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Old Stone Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

The Old Stone Church in 2023
Location	91 Public Square Cleveland, Ohio 44113
Built	1855
Architect	Heard & Porter; Schweinfurth, Charles
Architectural style	Romanesque
NRHP reference No.	73001414
Added to NRHP	February 23, 1973

The Old Stone Church is a very old and important Presbyterian church building in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It is the oldest building still standing on Public Square. It was also the second church ever built in the city of Cleveland.

A Look Back: The Church's Early Days
- Fires and Rebuilding: A Church That Stood Strong
The Old Stone Church Today
Images for kids
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A Look Back: The Church's Early Days

In June 1819, a group called the Union Sunday School started meeting where the church is now. On September 19, 1820, fifteen people from Cleveland officially created the church group. This was about ten percent of all the people living in the village back then!

The church group was officially named The First Presbyterian Society in 1827. In 1834, they built their first church. It was made from gray sandstone. Inside, it had a special balcony held up by iron rods. This was a new idea for buildings in Cleveland. It also had the city's first pipe organ. Because it was made of stone, people called it "the Stone Church." Later, when other stone churches were built, it became known as the "Old Stone Church."

By 1853, the church building was too small for everyone. So, they took it down and built a bigger one in the same spot. The new church was finished on August 12, 1855. It was built in the Romanesque Revival style. This means it looked like old Roman buildings. It was also made of local sandstone. Architects Charles Heard and Simeon Porter designed this beautiful building.

Fires and Rebuilding: A Church That Stood Strong

The Old Stone Church around 1910

Just 19 months after it was finished, on March 7, 1857, a fire hit the church. Firefighters used hand-pumped fire engines, but their water could not reach the very top of the 250-foot steeple. The steeple fell onto Ontario Street.

Even with the steeple gone, most of the building was still standing. Workers started rebuilding right away. The church was ready again on January 17, 1858.

Another fire happened on January 5, 1884. This fire started in a theater next door and spread to the church. Even though the church was built strongly, the inside was completely burned out. After this, the church members thought about moving to a new location. But important members, like John Hay, convinced them to stay in the original spot.

The church hired architect Charles Schweinfurth to lead the rebuilding. The church was dedicated again on October 19, 1884. Later, they added three beautiful Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass windows. They also added a special triple window by John La Farge that looks out over Public Square. A new Holtkamp Organ Company organ was also installed.

The Old Stone Church Today

The church before a big restoration project

The Old Stone Church looks almost the same today as it did many years ago. It is the last church still standing that was designed by the Heard and Porter architectural firm. The biggest change happened in 1999. They added a new steeple that looked just like the original one. This was part of a $2.4 million project to fix up the church. They also cleaned the Berea sandstone walls, which had turned black from air pollution. The beautiful La Farge window was also carefully cleaned and repaired. The Old Stone Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This means it is a very important historical building.