Historic Tour of Gothic Building

A. The Gothic building was consecrated in services on Sept. 25, 1927. It was a glorious celebration lasting three weeks. It's dedication was celebrated each year as a "birthday party" for at least the first 25 years and perhaps longer. We celebrated the 75th anniversary in Sept. 2002. In 2007 we celebrated the 80th with a "The Story of Grace" picture display in the newly dedicated Welcome Center.

B. Between 1951 and 1962 stained glass windows by Connick of Boston, Massachusetts, were installed--26 of them, all named. They were designed by Senior Pastor Lynn Radcliffe who served this congregation from 1948 until 1960. Plaques along the sidewalls and balcony steps give the subject of the window and the donor names. The first stained-glass window completed was the "Living Christ" window over the altar. The last was the stained glass in the doors in the south wall of the transept east and west of the chancel.

C. Notice the length of pendant lights in east & west transepts. They are still at the original height. Compare them with those in the rest of the sanctuary. Those in the sanctuary were elevated about six feet when ceiling lighting was installed in 1989. Two pendant lights hung in the chancel. They were removed during chancel renovation in 1989 when the Cassavant organ was installed. Stage lighting was installed in 2000. One of the pendant light fixtures removed from the chancel in 1989 was installed in the south stair tower during its construction in 2000.

D. The everlasting light that hung over the center of the chancel from 1927 until 1999 when it was moved north and to the west side of the chancel renovation so as to not obstruct viewing the reredos from several places in the sanctuary and balcony.

E. The reredos (the large wooden carving in back of the altar) originally had a passageway behind it covered by a sloping slate roof (or window sill, as some call it). In 1959, the reredos was moved back about 42 inches and attached to the south wall and the sloping roof removed to make more room in the chancel. In 1999, when the chancel was renovated, the reredos was elevated about two feet and a carved center panel (Weberding Carvers, Batesville, Indiana) was added above the altar. The altar was shortened from front-to back by about eight inches when a shelf was removed from the back. The doors to the former passageway are still visible near the east and west sidesÑthey have not operated since 1959. In order to get to his study, the preacher would enter from a door in the main hall where the elevator is now go down the passageway, exit through a door into the chancel, cross the chancel then go up a narrow stairway. The study is still there. ItÕs the little room above the east foyer. What was formerly the preacherÕs office (and private study) from 1927 until 1967 is now the broadcast booth. Radio and television recording equipment and controls are in that room. There is also a keyboard from which the chimes can be played. The broadcast booth is accessed by ladder-steps from the sacristy.

F. The church office was originally in the east vestibule. But for many years before 1966, when new offices were built in the education wing, it was located with the membership and finance offices in a large room that was on the first floor west of the restrooms. That large room was later divided into classrooms in 1966 when the education wing was added. Later the classrooms were converted to staff offices. Space for the sacristy added in 1990 during installation of the Cassavant Freres organ, was taken out of the east vestibule.

G. Organs -- there have been three in this space. The original Esty organ was installed about 1928; the Aeolian-Skinner dedicated Sept. 20, 1959; and the present Casavant was dedicated on September 25, 1990.

H. The chancel was renovated in 1999. It was extended forward about seven feet. Three rows of pews were removed. Chancel seating was increased from 28 to 43. The pulpit & lectern were relocated about 7 feet north toward the congregation and about two feet toward the center aisle. The pulpit and lectern which are on wheels, can be removed from the sanctuary or placed in one of the corners of the east transept. The organ was relocated from an alcove on the east side of the chancel to its present location on the east side of the chancel where the pulpit was. It is on a platform that can be elevated. The organ console can be rolled off the platform and moved to the back of the chancel. All the benches in the chancel can be removed and the chancel cleared for concerts, plays, etc. It becomes a level stage back to about six feet in front of the altar. Originally on the 6-inch level, the baptismal font was elevated about 18 inches but is located within a few inches of its original location.

I. The decorative tiles in the floor of the sanctuary are Cambridge-Wheatley (read that NOT Rookwood) with various religious symbols. During the 1999 renovation, tiles in the (then) front area from the pews forward through the first raised level (6-inch) were removed and the best ones reinstalled in the new floor. Research in the spring of 2006 showed these tiles are Cambridge-Wheatley faience tiles made in either Cincinnati or across the river in Covington, Kentucky.

J. The iron communion rail was shortened in the 1999 chancel renovation. The original decorative wrought-iron gates are stored in the utility room awaiting an artistic project that would include them. There are two 30-inch sections that can be added to this rail. The Sunday bulletin of January 6, 1963 reported that "Mr. John Lee, a friend of the church, made the communion cup holders that attach to the top of the rail. It is artistic, functional and in harmony with the work that is already there." The original rail was made at the Trio Iron Works at 2728 W. McMicken Ave. in Cincinnati in 1927 as shown in the Oct. 1928 issue of The Architect.

K. Notice the beautiful needlepoint kneelers in front of the iron rail. A group of 17 women and men of the church made these over an 18 month period. They were dedicated in April 1989.

L. The sanctuary and refectory below were air conditioned in 1977. A wall plaque on the west wall of the sanctuary commemorates a gift for that improvement.

A. Wall plaques.

1). “Our Invitation” West side of narthex.

2). “Our Official Policy” East side of narthex.

3). “Our Purpose” plaque on the north wall that updated the 1927 statements (above) was placed in 2004.

4). “The Tower Bells are a Gift” of Kathryn Streit Houston in memory of her husband, brother and parents, December 1978. This commemorated the gift that restored the bells to working order.

B. Two plaques in the west entry room of the narthex.

1). Fry Tower – Designated by the Board of Trustees in recognition of the devotion of Mr. & Mrs. Anson C. Fry”

2). Tower Chimes – Presented in September 1927 by Mr. & Mrs. Arthur H. Lahke in memory of their parents, Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Hulse & Mr. & Mrs. John H. Lahke. The gift included 16 tubular tones with the hanging and striking mechanisms. This was the original gift of the tower bells.

A. Note the “Resurrection” window that commemorates the ministry of Lynn Radcliffe and honors his wife, Glenivan.

B. Pipes for the Cassavant organ. Four seats were removed from the balcony in 1990 to accommodate the pillars that support the organ pipes and cases.

C. East side closet housed the Church Archives from about 1985 to 2004 when the records were moved to the Erie Building . Note amber glass in windows on the east wall. This was the original color of all glass in sanctuary windows (before stained glass was installed from 1951 to 1962).

D. The west side room has ladder leading to the chimes/bells in the Fry Tower . Note original amber glass in window. This room was used as an office by associate pastors Maurice Phillips, Lee Parkison and Bob Nida (and probably others who served the church) between 1927 and 1966 when the education wing was built. Note the original amber colored glass in the windows on the south and west walls. There are at least two other amber windows in the Fry Tower that are visible from the Garth garden in the south wall of the sanctuary behind the reredos.

A.  [North-South Hallway]  Originally this area opened directly to the gymnasium which was converted to the Welcome Center (above) and classrooms (below).  That proved too noisy so it was walled-up (about 1960) with concrete blocks and four windows installed.  Aluminum coat racks were installed between the pillars.  The hallway was renovated in 2000.  A new bulletin board was installed on the east wall. The gym windows on the west wall were filled-in and wrought-iron coat racks were installed.  These coat racks replaced aluminum racks like those in the east vestibule and west narthex.  In 2000, the library door was relocated from the north west corner of the library (at the end of the east-west hallway) south about eight feet to its present location.  New lighting fixtures (round) were installed in the halls.  As part of the 2007 renovation of the gym into classrooms and the space above into a Welcome Center, the wrought-iron coat racks were mounted on the north wall of the Social Hall and on the west wall of the main hall across from the door to the Library.  The Welcome Center was dedicated on June 10, 2007.  It is the most popular meeting room in the building.

B. [East-West Hallway]  From the restrooms west, this was originally one large room.  At times it served as the church office for the church secretary, membership secretary and financial secretary.  For example, when Charlotte Lampkin was Financial Secretary (1959-1965), her office was located at the west end of that large room—just this side of the stair well that was added in 1966 with the Education Wing.

• Originally filled with theater seats—later (1959) removed at the suggestion of Faye Flint (Diaconal Minister) & church member Bob Kendall (interior designer) to make the space more flexible for various uses.  The seats in the balcony (accessible from third floor) are original to the Little Theater and identical to those removed in 1959.
  
  
• Originally had an Estey organ on the right (north) side until about 1944.  Notice grating where pipes were located.
  
  
• Originally had a projection booth with two or three square holes in wall—but the holes were filled-in probably in 1990’s when the space was converted to a storeroom.
  
  
• Pendant lights in the Little Theater are original as well as decorative tiles in the ceiling.  Two light fixtures in front were removed in 2005 when the Little Theater was remodeled for the contemporary services.
  
  
• The stage had a maroon curtain and lighting.
  
  
• The ceiling fans were added in the early 1990’s.
  
  
• In 2005, the Little Theater was remodeled.  The architect was church member Michael McInturf.  A green rug was laid over the red asphalt tile floor that had been laid in 1959.  The stage floor was removed and replaced.  The maroon curtain was taken down and stored in the boiler room.  Laminated curved beams were suspended from the ceiling.  These beams were covered with sound reflective laminated wood panels that formed a proscenium or band-shell-like structure over and on the back wall of the stage.  A new curved cork-faced front was added to the stage that included steps on the east and steps on the west that have long, wide treads to accommodate musicians for contemporary worship.  In early 2006, the “Little Theater” was renamed the “2nd Floor Auditorium.”  Later in 2006 stage lighting was installed in the ceiling.

• Originally the “Men’s Club Room” where Judge Darby’s men’s Bible class met for many years.  They had 100 or more men in that class.  There was a plaque on the door or wall in memory of Judge Darby, but it was removed and several years later (August 2007) found in the equipment room and is stored in the church archives.
  
  
• Originally this room had a door leading to the roof over the Garth cloister but it was walled-up and glass blocks installed in 1999-2000 during the building of the stair tower.  Although the door was rarely used, it was an accident waiting to happen with the youth tempted to open the doors and explore the roof.
  
  
• Bob Drew, Associate Pastor, who served the congregation 1955-1964 and a secretary, used this room for an office some of the time during his tenure.
  
  
• For many years, until the summer of 2007, Room 201 served as the Youth Lounge.
  
  
• In 2007 this room was divided.  The south half (with the bay window) was made into dressing & music storage rooms for the choirs.   The north part with the fireplace is used as a classroom and to store chairs from the 2nd Floor Auditorium.
  
  

• In 1927 this large classroom with vaulted ceilings was for “seniors”—not old people but older youth.  Behind the east wall were a storage closet, six small classrooms and a dead-end hallway.  A door from the small classroom in the northeast corner led to the Garth/cloister roof and served as a fire escape.
  
  
• About 1959 the walls between some of those classrooms were removed, the closet and its door relocated and the space made into two larger classrooms -- 203 & 204 (but the doorways remained the same). 
  
  
• A kitchenette was added in the southwest corner of 202 that was used mainly by the youth on Sunday night (not certain it was added in 1959).  That kitchenette was remodeled and upgraded at least twice the last time being about 2004. In 2007 the titchenette was removed and installed in the Erie Building for continued use by the youth.
  
  
• To the east are two rooms (203 &204) accessed through doors in the east wall.  Room 203 (north) had the door that led to the Garth/cloister roof but it was closed in 2001 and replaced by a glass-block window.  For many years it housed a pool table used by the youth until 2007 when the youth moved to the Erie Building.  Room 204 (south) was Job Search Focus office for about eight years until 2007 when it moved to 301.  All these rooms had served as classrooms from time to time since 1927.
  
  
• In June 2007 the choirs (Cathedral, Wesley, Sunshine Singers, Youth, Community Choristers and Hand Bell) moved into a new suite of rooms that includes all of 202, 203 and 204 and through a new doorway, the south part or Room 201, that was formerly the classroom of Judge Darby’s Men’s Bible Study (1927- 1934).  The wall between Rooms 203 and 204 was removed in 2007.  The space of Room 203 is used by the Hand Bell choir.  The space of former 204 houses music storage cabinets and music ministry offices.  The space of former 202 with the vaulted ceiling is now a rehearsal room for the choirs.
  
  
• The large blue painting by Makoto Fujimura was donated to the church youth in 2002 by Cindy Bates, a daughter of Gary & Joyce Bates.  A product of the HPCUMC youth program, Cindy wanted it to be enjoyed by them.  That’s why it is displayed close to the area of the church that was until 2007 frequented by the youth.  A special case was built to enclose the painting as it is valuable and needs to be protected from light, fingerprints, etc.
  
  
•  On 2nd floor landing in the stair tower added in 2000.  The water scene painting was donated to the church in 2001 by the Job Search Focus Group in appreciation of ten years of ministry to that constituency—mostly persons not members of the church.
  
  
• From landing at south end, note the pendant light hanging in stairwell.  This fixture hung in the chancel from 1927 until 1989 when the Casavant organ and ceiling lighting were installed in the sanctuary.
  
  
• Go down the steps to the first landing.  The artwork on the north wall was created by Sister Mary Grace, a cloistered Roman Catholic nun who served at our Erie Building for about 30 years.  It was donated by the Fausnaught family.
  
  
• Plaques honoring donors & Building Committee which oversaw the 1966 addition of education wing & chapel.
  
  
• Room 205 (former education office) was reconfigured and repainted in 2005 to house the computer lab that was originally in Room 301 south. It was moved in August 2007 to Room 5 at the east end of the former gymnasium space that was converted into three classrooms in 2007.
  
  
• Old (1927) building stops just west of the west door to the Education office—just beyond the backstage door to the 2nd Floor Auditorium (formerly Little Theater).
  
  
• Notice expansion joint in the hall floor where the 1927 and 1966 buildings are joined together.
  

• Ladder to attic and walkway over sanctuary and chancel.
  
  
• Room 301 North newly painted. Classroom.
  
  
• Room 301 South divided original room 301 and was the location of the original Computer Lab established in 1999.  In 2005 the computer lab was moved to Room 205 (formerly the education office) that had been reconfigured and repainted in a “Creation” scene.  In 2006 when the construction started for the choir suite in room 204 that housed the Job Search Focus Group, JSFG moved to Room 301.  In 2007 when the Welcome Center and the three classrooms below it were completed, the Computer Lab moved into the room closest to the kitchen.
  
  
• Pew bench.  (Alto or Soprano)  Removed from sanctuary in 1999.  Four of five removed from chancel in 1999 were sold.
  
  
• Restrooms—one made into two in 2000.
  
  
• Room 303 on west side of 3rd floor—in original 1927 building.  Presently serves as the scout room (also at various times in the past).  Dividers were installed in 1998.
• Fireplace has plaque honoring the donors whose gift restored the fireplace.
  
  
• Room 303 exits to the west into a stair well that is part of the 1966 education wing addition.  Originally this exit led to a fire escape attached to the outside of the building.
  

• 3rd Floor:    2    In 1927 building--west of intersection of main halls.
  
  
• 2nd Floor:   4    Two west of intersection of main halls; one outside 213; and one in 217.
  
  
• 1st Floor:     4    Two west of intersection of main halls; one outside 113; and one at the end of hallway near mail room.
  
  
• Basement:    2    Education Wing—in 12; between 14 & 15.
  
  
• Basement:    3    In 1927 building—opposite the kitchen--Men’s, Women’s, & Handicapped.
  

• Portrait of Mr. Fred Peperkorn, non-member who gave $100,000 to build chapel. Later became member.
  
  
• 9 stained glass windows all designed by former Pastor Lynn Radcliffe, built and installed by Cormick Associates, Boston, 1965.  All are labeled with the Connick name.
  
  
• Chapel balcony.  The Moeller organ was installed in 2000.  This is the second chapel organ.  It was built by M. P. Moeller of Hagerstown, Maryland, Opus 8085, in 1949.
  
  
• Original chapel organ was electronic.  It was installed in 1967.  A plaque commemorates this gift from Mrs. Walter E. Huenefeld & Mr. & Mrs. Edward W. Beers in memory of Walter Ernest Huenefeld.
  
  

16. The area below the 2nd Floor Auditorium (1927 building) was originally a Gymnasium that served the congregation from 1927 until 2007 when the space was converted into three classrooms (below) and a Welcome Center (above).  The gymnasium:

• Doubled as class rooms for crowded Sunday school program until education wing was completed in 1966.
  
  
• Doubled as extension of the refectory for crowded church dinners. Such as last Sept 25, 2002 .
  
  
• Originally opened directly to the first floor level—noise caused the area to be filled-in and five windows were installed in 1959.  Originally had an outside door on the west wall near the northwest corner.
  
  
• During the 1999-2001 renovation, the gym windows were enclosed and the space between the columns was arched and wrought-iron coat racks installed.  The arched columns were retained but the walls between the columns were removed in 2006-2007 when the Welcome Center was built (upper level) and three classrooms added (lower level) in the space that the gym previously occupied.
  
  
• There were two hardwood floors in the former gym.  Original was replaced about 1974.  Part of the 1974 floor was replaced due to water damage and termites about 1994.  This floor was removed in December 2006.
  
  
• In December 2006, the gym was permanently closed for renovation into a classrooms and a pre-school muscle room on the lower level and a welcome center on the upper level all part of the Changing Lives Capital Funds Program.
  

17. Basement area south of the (now) classrooms (formerly the gymnasium).

• This area is shown on the original plans as a bowling alley and a hand ball court but only the latter was built.  It was as much as eight feet below the level of the gym.  In 1966, it was filled with sand and a concrete floor poured.  This area was used from time to time by the Boy Scouts from 1927 to 1966.  In the 1980’s it was remodeled into men’s & women’s restrooms (accessible from the hall by the kitchen/gym) and showers on the east (accessible from a short hall off the gym) and a custodian’s office on the west (accessible from the 1966 stair tower.  At that time the east half of the area was used for showers and the west half for Boy Scouts.  The west room became the building superintendent’s office and the scouts were moved to the third floor.

18. Hallway between gym and kitchen:

• The space in the hallway between the two doors to the kitchen originally was a built-in closet.  On the south side was kitchen storage.  The north side was for choir robes and the choir dressing room.  One can see where those cabinets used to be.  The cabinets started where the terrazzo ends.  The closets were in the area now covered with asphalt tile.  Originally there were two doors to the gymnasium opposite the two doors to the kitchen.  One of those doors (south) still exists.  The other was closed when the classrooms were built in the gym space and that space now hidden inside a small closet in the hall.
  
  
• A closet on the west side between the bottom of the north steps and the north gym door was originally a women’s rest room.
  
  
• This area at northeast corner of the former gym was made into closets in 2007 when the gym was made into classrooms (lower level) and Welcome Center (upper level).
  

19. Kitchen

• Originally there were two ramps in the kitchen serving area.  The east ramp was enclosed and a new walk-in refrigerator-freezer installed in 1997.  This reduced the heat and noise in kitchen.  Both ramps were part of the original floor plan as published in The Architect, October 1928.
  
  
• Glass front cabinets on the west side of the existing ramp are original
  
  
• Hand basin & closet in lower kitchen was installed in 1997.
  
  
• The lower-level serving area was used as a classroom for many years until 1966.
  

20.  Refectory  --  under the sanctuary.

• Remodeled in 1977.  Chair rails, lattice work in ceiling between columns in ceiling, air conditioning, recessed lighting, were all added in 1977.
  
  
• The molded aluminum frame putty and orange colored chairs were purchased in 1977.
  
  
• The round tables were added in 1993 donated by the Emmaus Community.  Before that, all tables were rectangular.
  
  
• Flourescent lighting installed was in April 2008 replacing the recessed spot lighting installed in 1977.