Old Stone Church, Cleveland (must see)

The Old Stone Church, located in the heart of downtown Cleveland, is a historic Presbyterian church and the oldest building on Public Square. Established on September 19, 1820, by fifteen Cleveland residents—about ten percent of the village’s population at the time—the congregation initially met as the Union Sunday School. It was formally incorporated in 1827 as The First Presbyterian Society, and the first church building was constructed in 1834 using local gray sandstone. This early structure introduced a suspended gallery and featured Cleveland’s first pipe organ, earning it the nickname “the Stone Church.” As more stone churches were erected in the area, it became known as the “Old Stone Church.”

By 1853, the congregation had outgrown the original building, prompting its demolition and the construction of a larger Romanesque Revival church on the same site, designed by architects Charles Heard and Simeon Porter. The new church was dedicated on August 12, 1855, but tragedy struck just nineteen months later when a fire engulfed the 250-foot steeple on March 7, 1857. Despite the damage, the church was rebuilt and rededicated by January 17, 1858.

The Old Stone Church has since undergone several modifications, including the addition of three Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass windows, a John La Farge triple window overlooking Public Square, and a Holtkamp Organ Company organ. In 1999, the church underwent a renovation that included the restoration of a steeple replicating the original design, and cleaning the Berea sandstone, which had darkened from air pollution.

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, the Old Stone Church remains a testament to Cleveland’s architectural and cultural heritage. It is also the last remaining church designed by the Heard and Porter architectural firm, standing as a symbol of resilience and continuity in the city’s historical landscape.