history of the old church

When a determined group of Presbyterians arrived at the Ladd & Tilton Bank on June 23, 1880 to discuss the growing need for a new place of worship, the emotional mortar for this historic landmark was put into place. The Honorary William S. Ladd donated the land and architect Warren H. Williams donated his design, plan and supervision for the construction of the new Calvary Presbyterian Church. Mr. Williams is acclaimed for his Victorian-era architectural style, seen in fifty Portland area buildings, helping to accredit Portland with being a paragon in the Pacific Northwest for its abundance of Victorian architecture.

The location selected drew severe criticism from some members who said it was much "too far out in the country." It was true the area chosen consisted of open fields and woods, but it was argued that this distance from the center of town made the property less expensive. With building costs estimated at $24,000, the church was put under construction. The final costs turned out to be nearly $36,000.

The cornerstone for the Calvary Presbyterian Church was laid September 11, 1882. The first services in the sanctuary were for the installation as pastor of Reverend E. Trumbull Lee who then preached the first sermon.

The pipe organ, which was another gift from the Ladd family, was the first pipe organ in Portland. The organ was purchased out of Boston, from the Hook and Hastings Company, and brought around the horn to San Francisco. Next the organ was loaded onto an ox cart, which was necessary since Portland’s railway system was not completed until the late 1880s, and this musical masterpiece slowly wound its way home. Today, The Old Church is the only local host to an original Hook and Hastings pipe organ.

The church was rather exclusive in its early days. George Murdane recalls, "It wasn't so easy to get into a church in those days, at least not that one. I had to appear before six elders. It was like an inquisition. Then they told me to go into the next room and wait. At last they came in and told me, 'We've decided to let you in.'" Murdane recalls that by this time all the open spaces around the church had been filled, not with fine homes and businesses but predominantly with shacky, nondescript dwellings, most of them clustered in nearby "Goose Hollow." Over the following decades the neighborhood would improve, most notably with the addition of the sprawling campus of Portland State University.

Hard to believe that the Calvary Presbyterians could bear to vacate this lovely wooden church, but after a 66-year stint their congregation had grown too large for the space, and in 1948 The Old Church began its odyssey of names. Almost immediately, this enchanting building, with its ornate Baroque style window moldings, and charming Renaissance style cast-iron columns, found new members. Soon the belfry tower rang out the services for the Evangel Baptist Church, however only until 1951.

First Southern Baptist Church took ownership from 1951 until 1967. Although no documented structural changes were made, in 1965 this assemblage changed its name to the Metropolitan Baptist Church, and thus it remained until our famed local landmark went on the open market in 1967. Much in need of restoration, and with no interested parties, the demise of this historic landmark looked imminent. Ms. Lannie Hurst placed option money of $100 to stave off the wrecker’s ball and persuaded the Portland Beautification Association to rescue this cherished landmark. The rich architectural quality, and pioneering historic spirit, conveyed its cultural charm convincingly and "The Old Church" became incorporated on April 1, 1968. The Old Church has lived up to the last of its many names. Yet, by any name, this church would be venerated for its traditional gothic styling of the slender, pointed arches, its belfry tower and buttresses, and the elegance of the window archery, which delightfully accentuates the Victorian-era architecture for which Warren H. Williams was acclaimed. Known today as The Old Church Society, Inc., Portland’s gracious, weather-hewn wood edifice provides a place of solace for some and a place of gathering for others. But, for all those that pass by, it is truly a visual delight.

Historic churches of the gold country

Methodist Church of Downieville
Construction of the Methodist Church of Downieville also began in 1853, the same year as the First Catholic Church. However, the Methodist church, which also served as the area's Episcopal church, was not completed until 1856, This original structure is still in use today and is now California's oldest Protestant church building in continuous use. Prior to the church being constructed, the town's folk were holding Sunday services in other buildings. The construction site of the Methodist Church of Downieville had not been mined, so once construction was complete, the property was mined via tunneling – once using gravel to support the foundation and again using dirt that had to be taken in by wheel barrow.

Of all the gold mined from beneath the Methodist church, the congregation never received any of the profits. A new floor was constructed in 1960, at which time a cavity 7 feet in diameter and several feet deep was discovered. No wonder the church's foundation had continued to settle so drastically, causing such continued necessary repairs. Not even churches were sacred when it came to gold mining in the 1800's.

The First Catholic Church of Downieville
was a simple structure built in 1853 under the direction of Father Shanahan, a priest who had visited the mining camp after a devastating fire in 1852 had burned down most of the communities buildings.

The church was active even though it didn’t have a permanent pastor. Father Dalton traveled frequently from Grass Valley to the northern corners of Sierra County, including to Downieville when in 1856 he purchased a former Baptist church for $2,300. On June 22, 1856, the church was dedicated as “The Assumption.” In the winter of 1856, Father Charles Delahunty became pastor of the Downieville parish.

When that building burned down on Jan. 1, 1858, Father Delahunty had the present church built up the hill, approximately 150 yards north of the former site and dedicated this new structure as “The Immaculate Conception.”

While guarding his own flock, Father Delahunty also traveled to the many other mining towns of Sierra County until 1861, when he was transferred to Virginia City.

To this day, The Immaculate Conception Church still serves the residents of Downieville.

Emmanuel – Coloma
The towering Emmanuel Church in Coloma was constructed beginning in 1855 and completed in 1856, six years after the Episcopal congregation was formed. There are no records of where the church members met prior to the presence of the new building. The township's mission work began in 1849 with the arrival of Rev. William Roberts and continued with Silas F. Bennett, who continued later that year after being sent to Coloma by General John Sutter to complete the mill. A newspaper article, dated Sept. 29, 1855 reads:
The Ladies of Emmanuel Church will hold a Ladies’ Fair Oct. 5. The attendance of a great number of ladies from adjoining towns is anticipated and gentlemen will do well to make note of the time.
In 1870, the building became the Methodist-Episcopal Church. In 1921, the Methodists took ownership of the property and building and that year made extensive improvements. The church was in use as a house of worship until 1963 when it was deeded to the California State Parks division. The park rangers maintain the historical church and it is still available for weddings.

St. John's – Coloma
St. John's Catholic Church is not the congregation's original meeting place. A small log church was built in 1856 but as the membership grew the need for a larger building was fulfilled in 1858 with the construction of this standing building. Unfortunately this little church fell into severe disrepair as the fortunes and citizens of Coloma dwindled over the next century. It was successfully rescued in 1972 when it was lovingly restored. The original bell, cast in Sheffield, England in 1860, remains in the bell tower and the original stone foundation was built so tightly that no mortar was needed. It also remains in tact. Inside, some of the fine original pews have been polished to a beautiful luster and the Stations of the Cross are still in place. Behind the church is the Catholic Cemetery, which contains 77 graves. The first date of burial is 1850, that of D.A. MacPhee, so the cemetery began before the church building was erected. Coloma's St. John's Catholic Church and the Emanuel Church are just a stone’s throw from each other on Church Street.

Placerville Episcopal
Through the efforts of a young man by the name of Rev. Charles Caleb Pierce, Placerville's Episcopal Church was erected in 1865, four years after the Catholic Church was built. Originally a Quaker, Rev. Pierce was apparently a popular man. There are records of the Pierce Ladies Guild who raised money and received donations in order to build the church that still sits on Coloma Street right near today's Highway 50. In their efforts to collect enough money to finish the church, Pierce received $1,500, which came from four saloonkeepers. The profession of saloon keeping was not held in high esteem, yet after their donations Rev. Pierce had this to say: “There are some excellent and high principled saloonkeepers, as I can attest.” Placerville's Episcopal Church is still in use today.


Placerville Catholic Church
“A substantial frame church was erected on Sacramento Street,” according to an 1852 document that records the first semblance of a Catholic Church in Placerville, then called Dry Diggins. The original name came from the fact that there was not much water with which to mine the gold. After three men were hanged from an oak tree in the middle of town, the community was hung with the unofficial moniker of Hangtown. Lawlessness soon became much less of a problem because of the name. But since the townsfolk were too crazy about their nickname, it officially changed to Placerville in 1854.
The new, modern church you see today stands on the same spot as the original but still another building was on that sight in between. The first building was destroyed by fire in 1865. All that was left of it was the beautiful bell, which had been a gift from some miners. It was cast with a considerable amount of silver in it. A new church went up in August 1865. Dry Diggins’ first Catholic priest was a missionary by the name of F. Ingoldsby, who arrived in town in 1852.
At least two other historic churches, dating from the mid-1800s, graced Placerville but they fell into such severe disrepair, they were eventually demolished in the 20th century.

St. Patrick Catholic Church & Rectory - Jackson
Daniel Harter and his carpenters built this graceful church on Church Street in downtown Jackson in 1868. However, local Catholics had been gathering for mass in various homes since 1852. In 1853, Armstead C. Brown sold them his former residence, which they had been using for church services and it sufficed until 1855 when a new church was built. The 1862 fire consumed that building and in 1868 the current church took its place. A new bell arrived in 1870 but in 1878, it was blown down along with the belfry and cross, which wasn’t replaced until 1894. Part of the accompanying rectory was added next door in 1887; with another half added some time after 1919. St. Patrick’s Catholic Church continues to house its faithful to this day.

Methodist Church & Parsonage - Jackson
The original Methodist-Episcopal Church was built in 1853, however the same denominations were erected in Fort John, Volcano and Ione prior to Jackson's. The building survived the 1862 fire because it was far enough away from the blaze. In 1968, the wood structure was demolished to make room for the present brick construction. The existing parsonage next door was constructed in 1893. Thanks to a 23-year-old minister, Isaac B. Fish, and his seemingly frail and delicate wife, the Methodist-Episcopal church was finally a reality in Jackson. Fish traveled by foot (he could not afford to own or feed a horse) to Jackson from Mokelumne Hill and surrounding communities beginning in 1851. He preached in homes, frequently to less than a handful of people. During one sermon, a knife fight broke out. Fish declared of Jackson: “The Lord have mercy on the wicked people of Jackson.” But his persistence finally paid off.


Pioneer Jewish Synagogue - Jackson
While Jewish tradesmen, peddlers and merchants arrived in Jackson in 1849, it wasn't until September 1857 that the Mother Lode's first Jewish Synagogue was dedicated and opened for the first time. In July 1857, the Amador Ledger reported: “The Israelites of Jackson have commenced the construction of what will be, when finished, one of the largest and finest churches in the mountains.” John Edwards, of Ione Valley, and A.C. Brown, of Jackson, donated the land on which the synagogue stood, surrounded by the Jewish cemetery. Historians believe that the synagogue was only used for annual high holy days each September and was left locked the rest of the year. After 1868, the building was used for secular purposes and was demolished in 1876, just 19 years after it's construction. Today a monument to the Jewish Synagogue stands in front of the Jackson Grammar School on Church Street. (Courtesy of Larry Cenotto)

St. Peter and Paul's - Jackson
The tiny, crude church of St. Peter and Paul's was originally built in the town of Clinton, south of Jackson. Mere signs of Clinton no longer exist. Believed to have been built in 1877, the small building was moved to the Kennedy Mine site, in the town of Jackson in the last few years. Also relocated at the Kennedy Mine site is a Jackson bridge originally built in 1908. St. Peter & Paul's church can be visited at the mine site on Jackson Gate Road. (Courtesy of Larry Cenotto)


St. Sava Serbian Church – Jackson
On a hillside in Jackson, in a neighborhood once known as Newmanville, stands the spectacular St. Sava Serbian Church, built in 1894. Majestic headstones in the cemetery surround the massive snow-colored church. St. Sava (pronounced Saba) was the first Serbian Church built in North America to serve the spiritual needs of the countless Serbian miners who came to the Gold Country to pluck their riches. Prior to the church's construction, the “Slavonian Benevolent Society” was formed in Sutter Creek between 1872 and 1874, depending on which historical account you read. After their Sutter Creek “church meeting place” burned down in 1881, Jackson became their focal point. Construction was completed in December 1894 using brick fired in Jackson. Originally planned as a “Greek Orthodox” church, the Serbian/Slavonian residents were successful in procuring a Serbian charter and thus became the mother church of North America.

The Mokelumne Hill Community Church
celebrates its 152nd birthday in 2005, with old and new members invited. The church was built in 1853 as the Congregational Church and was headed by Rev. Benjamin D. Henry, of Maine. The original building burned down in the fire of 1854 and the church that visitors see today was

built and dedicated in 1856. Services have taken place in this church continuously over the last century and a half.

The Catholic Church in San Andreas
began with the transfer of raw land from Charles H. Schroebel and Daniel Pillsbury to

A History of the Presbytery of the Western

The Presbytery of the Western Reserve is a governing body of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), organized January 20, 1973 by the authority of the Synod of the Covenant and the General Assembly, and governed by the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

The establishment of Presbyterian and Congregational churches on the Connecticut Western Reserve was begun by the Connecticut Mission Society in 1800 and continued under the Plan of Union adopted in 1801 by the General Assembly and the General Association of Connecticut. "Presby-gational" churches flourished in Ohio and western New York State. The first traveling missionaries on the Reserve were William Wick, Presbyterian, and Joseph Badger, Congregationalist.

The presbyteries having jurisdiction in the area of the present presbytery included Hartford (1808); Grand River (1814) which was organized at Euclid, [First, East Cleveland (1807)], with seven ministers and eight churches; Portage (1818); Huron (1823); and, Cleveland (1830). The Synod of the Western Reserve was established in 1825 with the Presbyteries of Grand River, Portage, and Huron. The controversies over matters of faith and practice, which in 1838 resulted in the division of the General Assembly into Old School and New School branches, developed over a number of years. In 1837 the Assembly abrogated the Plan of the Union of 1801, and "exscinded" the Synods of Utica, Geneva, Genesee, and the Western Reserve for disobedience, forcing a general reorganization.

Northeastern Ohio was predominantly New School territory, but the separation of the Congregational/UCC churches (e.g., Austinburg, Dover, Brecksville, Brooklyn/Archwood) from the Presbyterian churches (e.g. Ashtabula First, Cleveland/Old Stone, Euclid/East Cleveland, Newburgh/Miles Park) was never overcome.

The United Presbyterian Church in North America congregations representing Presbyterians of the Covenanter and Seceder traditions arrived only slightly later on the Western Reserve. The Associate Reformed Church in Northfield was organized in 1833. The First Associate Church in Cleveland, now Heights United Presbyterian Church, was organized in 1843.

The merger in 1958 of the Presbytery of Cleveland of the United Presbyterian Church of North America and Presbytery of Cleveland of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, resulted in the Presbytery of Cleveland of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. which included the Akron area and not Ashtabula County. In 1973, boundaries were realigned and the name Presbytery of the Western Reserve adopted.

The early minutes show that, in addition to the traveling missionaries, the settled ministers were expected to preach in new settlements. The Presbyteries of Portage and Grand River joined in establishing Western Reserve College at Hudson in 1826 "for providing an able, learned, and pious ministry for the infant churches." Shaw Academy in East Cleveland was established in 1838 by a bequest of a member of the Euclid-First Presbyterian Church.

The opening of the Ohio Canal in 1830 brought rapid population growth, commercial development, and new needs. The Rev. Samuel C. Aiken and members of the First Presbyterian Church were among the organizers in 1830 of the Western Seamen's Friend Society, a mission and lodge for destitute sailors. This was the first Cleveland society to receive charitable donations. It was reorganized in 1867 as the Cleveland Bethel Union, a forerunner of Associated Cleveland Charities, 1884.

About 1833 the First Church tried to organize a Sunday School but found the children unable to read. As a result, a Free School was started. When the Bethel Church was opened on Eagle Street in 1835 as an offshoot of First Church, the Free School was housed there. It was adopted as the first school when the public school system was established.

The presbytery commitment to social justice was expressed in 1834 in a resolution on slavery which said in one section:

Resolved that this presbytery consider it the duty of every Christian immediately to use all means warranted by the word of God for the utter extermination of Slavery and for repeal of all such unjust and oppressive laws." In the years before the Civil War, the pastor and elders of First Church in Ashtabula were active in the Underground Railroad. In 1937, the presbytery voted its support of the Wagner Van Nuys Anti-Lynching Bill in the U.S. Congress.

A Women's Foreign Missionary Society was formed in the First Church of Cleveland as early as 1833. It was succeeded by the Women's Presbyterian Foreign Missionary Society in 1873. The women's Presbyterian Home Missionary Society was organized in 1881.

A number of churches were established by a single church starting a Sunday School in a new neighborhood. First (Old Stone), Second, and North Churches each did this more than once. In 1876 Second received an endowment for this purpose in the will of Thomas Sterling Beckwith. Between 1899 and 1918 the First Church in Ashtabula, with the financial help of Elder Samuel R. Harris, started three churches.

The beginning of church extension by consultation and cooperative funding among the congregations was the formation in November 1869 of the Presbyterian Union by the pastors and elders of seven churches. By the following June the Union had two missionaries working on four projects out of which developed Case Avenue (1870), Woodland Avenue (1872), and Bethany (1889) Churches. A newsletter in 1913 reports that by that year the Union had aided in the construction of 17 of the 37 buildings built since 1869. A comprehensive report for 1915-1933 names 23 more.

Old Stone History

Old Stone Church 1913

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.