Walnut Hills United Presbyterian Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Walnut Hills United Presbyterian Church
|
|
Eastern side of the tower
|
|
 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 2601 Gilbert Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1880 |
| Architect | Samuel Hannaford; J. Griffith |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| MPS | Samuel Hannaford and Sons TR in Hamilton County |
| NRHP reference No. | 80003089 |
| Added to NRHP | March 3, 1980 |
The Walnut Hills United Presbyterian Church is a historic church tower in the Walnut Hills area of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. This tower is the only part left of a famous church building. A well-known Cincinnati architect designed it in the 1880s. Even though it was recognized as a historic site a hundred years after it was built, most of the church was torn down. This happened because it was not taken care of, and fixing it would have cost too much money.
Contents
The Church's Story
Starting a Church in Walnut Hills
In 1818, a Presbyterian minister named James Kemper helped start a church group in Walnut Hills. After sixty years, this group joined with another church from the nearby Lane Theological Seminary. Soon, the combined group needed a bigger building for their services.
Designing a Grand Building
They chose a famous architect named Samuel Hannaford to design the new church. Hannaford was already known as one of Cincinnati's best architects. He had designed the impressive Music Hall in the 1870s. Cincinnati was growing fast, so there was a lot of work for architects like him.
Hannaford's design for the Walnut Hills church looked like some of his other buildings. It had a large tower on the corner with a tall, pointed roof called a steeple. The walls were made of smooth stone, giving it a Gothic Revival style. This style often looks like old European castles or cathedrals.
Changes Over Time
The church building was made bigger twice. A small chapel was added in 1891. Then, Hannaford's company added an even larger section in 1929. However, these extra parts were removed by the late 1970s.
Saving the Tower
By the early 2000s, the building was no longer used as a church. Groups that wanted to save old buildings tried to find someone to buy and fix it. They suggested it could become a community center or offices.
But the building was eventually torn down. A funeral home next door needed more space for parking. Also, the church was in such bad shape that fixing it would have cost millions of dollars. The tearing down process started in early 2003. Workers first removed things like stained glass and dangerous materials. Most of the building was gone by the middle of that year.
However, people who wanted to save the church were able to rescue part of it. They paid $160,000 to buy the church's tower and stop it from being destroyed. Their goal is to make sure the tower stays strong and to build a small memorial around it. This way, a piece of the church will remain in the neighborhood.
Church Architecture
What the Church Looked Like
Even though the church looked like it was made of stone on the outside, it was actually built with bricks. It sat on a strong stone foundation and had a slate roof. The building was two and a half stories tall and had an unusual shape. The outer walls rose up to a large triangular section called a gable near the bell tower.
A huge stained glass window was the main feature in the gable. The tower itself had pointed Gothic windows on its lower levels. At the very top of the tower, there were two openings for the belfry, which is where the bells would have been. The tall, pointed spire that once topped the tower is no longer there. Like the chapel and other additions, it was removed by the late 1970s.
Next to the tower, an entrance still remains. Before the church was torn down, this entrance led into the main part of the church, which had four sections on its southern side.
Pieces That Remain
Some other parts of the building were saved after it was torn down. Part of the church's pulpit (where the minister speaks) was given to a church in Ripley. The first stone laid for the original 1818 church building was given to other Presbyterian groups nearby. Many other pieces, like wooden decorations and stained glass, were sold to people who wanted them.
A Historic Landmark
In 1980, the church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It earned this special status because of its important architecture. It was part of a group of more than fifty buildings designed by Samuel Hannaford that were all added to the Register at the same time.
However, being listed as a historic site could not stop the church from being torn down. Being on the National Register does not stop private owners from changing or destroying their properties. Neither the city of Cincinnati nor Hamilton County had any laws to protect the church. More than ten years after most of the building was torn down, the entire church building (including the tower) is still listed on the National Register.
