Public Square, Cleveland; built in 1853. Romanesque.

Exterior: Berea Sandstone was used for this church. The sandstone is said to have been quarried by the Black River Stone Company in Carlisle Township, just south of Elyria, Ohio (Williams, 1879). The stone is also said to have been quarried at other locales, but this early reference is most likely correct. This stone has proved to be extremely durable, having withstood two major fires in the 1800s. The name "Old Stone Church" was originally used for the first stone church at this site, but the "new" 1853 church was also called the "Old Stone Church." The Old Stone Church was cleaned for the first time in 1996-97 using a complex, relatively benevolent, and extremely costly cleaning technique involving acid, water, and other materials (Piscitello, 1998). See Hannibal and Schmidt (1992, p. 8) for a pre-cleaning discussion of the reason for the black patina that formerly covered the church. The former patina may have helped to preserve the stonework, which was in very good shape for such an old structure. A stainless steel spire was installed on top of the church in 1999.

References: Hannibal and Schmidt, 1992; Piscitello, 1998; Tuve, 1994.

 

Old Stone Church (First Presbyterian Church), Cleveland, in the midst of cleaning in November 1996.  The exterior is Berea Sandstone.

 

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