Old
Stone Church was born in the upper story of Cleveland's first log
courthouse, a Public Square structure so primitive that historian
Arthur Ludlow referred to it as "a place of advent almost as
humble as the manger of Bethlehem." It was here in June of 1819
that a Union Sunday School, the forerunner of Old Stone Church, was
established, and it was also here on September 19, 1820, that fifteen
residents of the village of Cleveland (10% of the population) would
sign the charter officially establishing the church. Residences and
commercial properties have come and gone on Public Square in the
ensuing years, but the one constant, the only continuing presence, has
been The Old Stone Church.
The church was formally incorporated
in 1827 as The First Presbyterian Society but the name by which it is
better known, Old Stone Church, came later. In 1834 the first church
was dedicated. The interior featured a gallery suspended by iron rods,
the first reported use of iron in a Cleveland public building, and it
contained Cleveland's first pipe organ. The site had been purchased
for $400 and the building cost $9500. Because it was constructed of
gray, rough-hammered sandstone, the church became known simply as the
"stone church," as would its successor. Over the years other
stone churches were erected, and thus First Presbyterian became the
"old stone church."
By 1853,
thanks to the rapid growth of Cleveland, the congregation outgrew its
first home and the building was razed for a larger edifice. The new
church, dedicated on August 12, 1855, was also made of native
sandstone and was designed by renowned architects Charles Heard and
Simeon Porter. The Romanesque Revival structure and adjacent parish
house cost $60,000. Just nineteen months later, on Saturday morning,
March 7, 1857, the new church suffered a devastating fire. A 100-foot
stream of water from hand-pumped fire engines was unable to reach the
250' steeple which crashed onto Ontario Street. Because the walls were
virtually intact and the building was insured, restoration immediately
began. The restored church was dedicated on January 17, 1858.
The second
disastrous fire to hit Old Stone occurred on January 5, 1884. The fire
began in the adjoining Wick Building's Park Theater, apparently due to
a gas explosion. At first, the fire was confined to the theater and it
was thought that Old Stone's heavy brick-lined stone walls, slate roof
and iron fittings might save the church this time. Intense heat
eventually ignited the auditorium ceiling and soon the interior was a
mass of flames. Since the fire again occurred on a Saturday, hurried
preparations were made for Sunday's service, held at Plymouth
Congregational Church. Rev. Dr. Arthur Mitchell's text was a masterful
understatement, "Thou knowest not what a day may bring
forth."
The second fire was perhaps harder
for the congregation to bear. Their pastor was rumored to be leaving
and four of the six church trustees died prior to or just after the
fire. There arose a great debate within the congregation over
retaining the historic site. Many members strongly urged a move to the
E. 55th and Euclid Ave. area. In addition, outside pressure was being
applied. The Cleveland Leader reported just four days after the fire
that "Mssrs. Wick are still considering the hotel and theater
scheme, and will probably carry it out if the site of the Stone Church
can be purchased for a reasonable sum." They estimated that sum
to be $80,000. Leading the battle to save the site were such
influential members as Judge Samuel E. Williamson, John Foote, Flora
Stone Mather and Col. John Hay, former secretary to Abraham Lincoln
and later United States Secretary of State and Ambassador to China.
The congregation finally voted to retain the site and begin
reconstruction. Architect Charles Schweinfurth was hired to head the
project. The restored church was dedicated on October 19, 1884, and a
local report stated: "The heavy iron-hinged doors were thrown
open, and all who thronged the service were dazzled by a scene of
magnificence far exceeding their highest expectations."
The
restored Old Stone Church is essentially what you see today.
Schweinfurth changed the interior layout, eliminating the center aisle
and creating an imposing barrel-vaulted ceiling supported by two false
clerestories. Especially notable are stained glass windows installed
over a period from 1885 to 1976 and the magnificent organ. There are
four Louis C. Tiffany stained glass windows and a magnificent
John La
Farge triple window overlooking Public Square. The present organ was
built by the famed Cleveland Holtkamp Organ Company
and was installed
in 1976 within the beautiful casework of an 1895 William Johnson
organ.
The
history of Old Stone is much more than that of a building. The
impact that this church and its members have had on the Greater
Cleveland community is immense and widespread. In the area of
education, Old Stone members are credited with organizing the first
free public school and beginning the first English classes for
immigrants. Both Case Western Reserve University
and Cleveland State
University owe their origins to the generosity of Old Stone members.
Likewise, the medical community has strong ties to Old Stone.
Cleveland's first doctor (David Long) and America's first neurosurgeon
(Harvey Cushing) were among its members. The first lectures of Western
Reserve Medical School were held at Old Stone in 1843 and the
Frances
Payne Bolton School of Nursing is named for its patron, an Old Stone
member. Both University Hospitals and the
Visiting Nurse Association
can trace their beginnings to programs at Old Stone.
Ten Old Stone members have headed
Cleveland's government, among them the first mayor and first city
manager, and members have served in all levels of city, state and
federal government, including at least one governor
and a United
States Secretary of State. Old Stone members founded many of
Cleveland's prominent businesses; e.g. Sherwin-Williams,
Higbee's, the
Winton Automobile Co., Stouffer Foods, Society Bank, and Meldrum and
Fewsmith. The Old Arcade was built by an Old Stone member and another
member was the first president of the Union Club. Many church members
have chosen to put their time and treasure into social service.
Seeking as Flora Stone Mather put it, "to be the dispensing hand
of a Father's bounty," they created settlement houses like
Goodrich-Gannett and the Rainey
Institute, and organized such pioneer
social institutions as the YMCA, the first orphan's home, and the
first women's shelter.
Many Greater Clevelanders have made
their own history by getting married at Old Stone. More than 12,000
couples having been married by Old Stone pastors over the years,
including celebrities like Bob Feller, Sheila and Gordon MacRae, and
Michael Stanley.
Old Stone has long been regarded as the place where the
community comes together in times of crisis and in times
of joy. Memorial services for Abraham Lincoln and
John F. Kennedy,
speeches by Sun Yat Sen and Jesse
Owens, the Cleveland Bicentennial
Ecumenical Service, the National Council of Churches' Service of
Reconciliation which brought together Korean civilians and American
servicemen, and an Ecumenical Service
of Prayer and Remembrance following the tragic events of
September 11, 2001 are examples of such events.
In 1998, all
of downtown Cleveland paused to watch the steeple-raising at Old Stone
Church. The new steeple replaced one removed in 1896 and capstoned a
$2.4 million renovation project that included
conservation of the La Farge window by
Conrad
Schmitt Studios. Reaching upward, it is a visible
reminder to all of God's continuing presence on Cleveland's Public
Square and represents the commitment of Old Stone Church to remain in
the heart of the city.
Learn more about the
history of Old Stone Church and the Presbytery of the Western Reserve
at:
http://www.preswesres.org/aboutus/history.html
