The Terminal Tower is located on Public Square and is Cleveland’s signature landmark. It was the second-tallest building in the world when it was completed. The Terminal Tower stood as the tallest building in North America outside of New York City from its completion in 1930 until 1964.
Today’s Quote: There’s something strange and powerful about black-and-white imagery. – Stefan Kanfer
Today’s Photo: The Old Stone Church
The Old Stone Church on Public Square is one of my favorite buildings to photograph. The staff at the church was kind enough to take me on a tour of the building and I was able to learn a lot about one of Cleveland’s coolest landmarks. (see http://brentdurken.com/inside-the-tower) Here is some more information about the Church from their website:
“The Old Stone Church, long a downtown Cleveland landmark, has a congregation dating back to 1820. Officially known as The First Presbyterian Society, it was founded at a time when Cleveland was just a village of a few hundred people. As Cleveland has grown in size and importance, The Old Stone Church has kept pace, becoming a symbol of spiritual leadership, community involvement and stability in the heart of the city.
The sixteen Christian men and women who met on September 19, 1820, to sign the charter formally establishing the First Presbyterian Church were members of a Bible class which had met for a year under the direction of Elisha Taylor. Among them was Rebecca Carter who with her husband, Lorenzo, had been the first permanent white settlers in Cleveland. A variety of sites, including a one-room schoolhouse and the log courthouse, served as meeting places for the fledgling church. Finally, in 1827, The First Presbyterian Society was incorporated, with the primary purpose of building a permanent home for the congregation.
The first church building was dedicated on February 26, 1834, on the northwest corner of Public Square, the historical center of downtown Cleveland. The building, of Tuscan-style architecture, was built of gray sandstone. It was the first stone church in Cleveland and was known as “The Stone Church.” Later, as the sandstone darkened, the name became The Old Stone Church.
Dedicating the Church was the Rev. John Keep, the last of six home missionaries recruited by the Connecticut Missionary Service for “frontier service” to Congregational and Presbyterian groups. The year following the dedication, the first Pastor, Samuel Aiken, was called. He served more than 25 years, establishing a precedent for exceptionally long pastoral tenure throughout the history of The Old Stone Church.
In 1853, reflecting the rapid growth of Cleveland, the congregation was outgrowing the sanctuary which had been erected just 20 years earlier. A new church, built on the site of the original structure, was dedicated on August 12, 1855. The massive foundation and walls were constructed of sandstone, lined with brick, at a cost of $60,000.
Nineteen months later, on March 7, 1857, a disastrous fire hit The Old Stone Church and spread from the roof to the 250-ft. steeple, which swayed and crashed across Ontario Street. Amasa Stone led the successful struggle to rebuild on the original property, and the renovated church was dedicated on January 17, 1858. Later, galleries and another graceful spire were completed.
During the following twenty-five years many social service organizations were formed by Old Stone members, directed toward moral and social problems. These included the YMCA, the YWCA, Children’s Aid Society, Western Seamen’s Society, Lakeside Hospital, The Goodrich Society, and the first Cleveland medical school.
A Service of Thanksgiving was held at the end of the Civil War, and a new Peace Bell raised in the belfry. As Abraham Lincoln’s funeral cortege stopped at Public Square, people were called to his memorial service at the church by the tolling of the massive bell (now installed in front of the church, facing Public Square).
Old Stone is the only remaining building to have been in existence during the lighting of Public Square with Charles Brush’s arc light in 1879.
The building was struck by another severe fire on January 5, 1884. John Foote, Samuel E. Williamson and Col. John Hay convinced the congregation that the historic site was worth preserving. Work began immediately, with architect Charles Schweinfurth employed to guide the restoration. Mr. Schweinfurth was new to Cleveland and Old Stone’s renovation was the first of many important commercial architectural contributions he was to make to the city.
While Old Stone’s walls required few repairs, the interior needed to be completely reconstructed. The steeple was declared unsafe and removed. The restored church, dedicated on October 19, 1884, is essentially the church you see today. A recent capital campaign resulted in cleaning and repairing the church, re-landscaping, and restoring the steeple. The Sanctuary was also renovated”.
http://www.oldstonechurch.org/
Today’s Quote: What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God. ~Eleanor Powell
Today’s Photo: Charles Brush Arc Lamp
Today’s Photo is of a replica Arc Lamp like Charles Brush used in an early application on Public Square in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 29, 1879. For more info on one of Cleveland’s most famous inventors please visit:
http://www.lafavre.us/brush/brushbio.htm
Today’s Quote: “Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today’s Photo: Tower City Center
“This is a photo of the fountain in the center of the Tower City shopping mall. Tower City Center (formerly known as Cleveland Union Terminal) is a large mixed-use facility located on Public Square in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The facility is composed of a number of interconnected office buildings, including the landmark Terminal Tower, a shopping mall, two hotels, and the main hub of Cleveland’s three rapid transit lines. On March 17, 1976, the tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places
as the Union Terminal Group.”
Read more about Tower City at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_City_Center
Today’s Quote: “Nothing was more up-to-date when it was built, or is more obsolete today, than the railroad station” – Ada Louise Huxtable
Today’s Photo: Into the Sun
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
This photo was taken looking directly into the sun. By using HDR I was able to still bring out the details on the front of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument. To the right you can see the top of the Terminal Tower. It looks like it is leaning because of distortion from a wide angle lens. That or it just leaned over so be in the photo also. To the left you can see the old May Company Building. I wish those department stores were still downtown, especially this time of year.
Today’s Quote: “America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” – Attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville
Today’s Photo: Moses Cleaveland Statue
“Moses Cleaveland was a lawyer, politician, soldier, and surveyor from Connecticut who founded the U.S. city of Cleveland, Ohio, while surveying the Western Reserve in 1796. The place called “Cleaveland” eventually became known as “Cleveland”. Oneexplanation as to why the spelling changed is that, in 1830, when the first newspaper, the Cleveland Advertiser, was established, the editor discovered that the head-line was too long for the form, and accordingly left out the letter “a” in the first syllable of “Cleaveland”, which spelling was at once adopted by the public. An alternative explanation is that Cleaveland’s surveying party misspelled the name of the future town on their original map.”
For more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses_Cleaveland
Today’s Quote:
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. –
Harriet Tubman
Today’s Photo: Inside the Clock Tower
Most Clevelanders have heard of the Old Stone Church. It is a historic Presbyterian church located in downtown Cleveland, and is the oldest building on Public Square. I know that most people know what the church looks like from the outside but I figure few know what the inside of the bell tower looks like. I thought I would show you. This church is an incredible place and I have many more photos of it to share with you.
Today’s Quote:
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. – Martin Luther King, Jr.