Westwood United Methodist Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Westwood United Methodist Church
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Front of the church
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | Epworth and Urwiler Sts., Cincinnati, Ohio |
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| Area | 0 acres (0 ha) |
| Built | 1896 |
| Architect | Samuel Hannaford & Sons |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| Part of | Westwood Town Center Historic District (ID74001515) |
| MPS | Samuel Hannaford and Sons TR in Hamilton County |
| NRHP reference No. | 80003090 |
| Added to NRHP | March 3, 1980 |
Westwood United Methodist Church is an old and important Methodist church located in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was built in 1896 for a group of church members who had been meeting for a long time. Today, it is recognized as a special historic site.
Contents
The Church's History
How the Church Began
The Westwood Methodist Episcopal Church started way back in 1838. For the first few years, from 1838 to 1842, the church members met and worshipped in each other's homes. They didn't have their own building yet.
Building a New Home
By the 1890s, the church members decided it was time for a bigger and newer building. They hired a very talented architect named Samuel Hannaford to design it. Samuel Hannaford was famous for designing many churches in the Cincinnati area. He often used styles like Gothic Revival and Romanesque Revival.
The new church building was finished in 1896. For about 30 years, the building stayed mostly the same. Then, in 1926, the first of several additions was built to make the church even larger.
What the Church Looks Like
A Special Design
The church stands on a corner lot right in the middle of the Westwood neighborhood. It's a great example of the Gothic Revival style. One of its most striking features is a tall steeple that has an even taller, pointed spire on top.
The building has many different gables (the triangular parts of a roof) and lots of windows. These windows are filled with beautiful stained glass. The outside walls are made of rough-faced ashlar stonework, which means the stones are cut and shaped but have a natural, rugged look.
Details of the Building
The roof of the church is covered with Slates. You can also see parts made of copper and sandstone. The eight-sided spire on top of the steeple is covered in copper. Large sandstone lintels (horizontal pieces of stone) are found around the windows in the belfry (where bells are kept) and the main part of the building.
Many of the church's decorations are on the steeple. These include windows with designs like fleurs de lis (a lily-shaped symbol) and quatrefoils (a shape with four lobes). Strong buttresses (supports built into the walls) also help hold up the structure.
A Historic Landmark
Becoming a Historic District
In 1974, the central part of Westwood was named a historic district. This area is called the Westwood Town Center Historic District. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which is a list of important historic sites in the United States. The church, which is now part of the United Methodist Church, was included as one of the important buildings in this district.
Recognized Individually
Six years later, in 1980, the church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places all by itself. It was one of more than 50 other buildings in the Cincinnati area designed by Samuel Hannaford that were added to the Register at that time. Like most of those buildings, the Westwood United Methodist Church was recognized because of its amazing and historically important architecture.
