Downtown is losing historic church

As congregation fades, upkeep on building is too much

By Meredith Heagney, The Columbus Dispatch

Wednesday, October 12, 2011 - 5:19 AM

 

A 151-year-old Downtown church with a dwindling membership is to close next month.  Central Presbyterian Church at 132 S. 3rd St. has become too costly for the congregation of about 40 active members to maintain, said Linda Wood, who serves on the church’s leadership council.

(. . .)

The congregation, which dates to 1839, voted to close, and the presbytery supports the decision, said Jim Wilson, a lawyer who is chairman of the commission to close the church for the presbytery.  The plan is to sell the property.

 

The church often has been used as a concert venue, and Wilson said he hopes it could have a future as a permanent performance space.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/10/12/downtown-is-losing-historic-church.html

 

 

^ Too bad to hear about the congregation selling the Central Presbyterian Church at 132 S. 3rd Street.  It's a beautiful church in a great downtown location.  The Old, Old Post Office (now the offices of Bricker & Eckler) is on one side of it and a wonderful little pocket park is on the other side of it.  I think the pocket park is owned by the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund, which also owns what used to be known as the IBM Building next to the park.

 

One of the church officials mentioned a performance space as a possible future use for the church.  The last time a downtown church closed was around 2005-06.  A Baptist Church at 583 E. Broad Street was closed and bought by someone who turned it into the Bar of Modern Art.  It was initially a nightclub/restaurant.  Later it transitioned into "an event venue that will cater exclusively to events ranging from large scale corporate clients, fundraisers, business meetings and weddings to intimate receptions and private parties" (from their current website: http://www.bomaevents.com/).

 

 

I just learned about the Old Post Office, Old, Old Post Office and Old, Old, Old Post Office phenomenon the other day. All three still stand in addition to the current Main Post Office.

Good news for the historic preservationists (myself included)... Columbus Landmarks sent out the following update via email on the fate of the Central Presbyterian Church in downtown:

 

Central Presbyterian Church in Contract

We are pleased to have learned that Central Presbyterian Church, 132 S. Third St., is in contract and its proposed new use will preserve the building. The Church closed in November and details of the transaction are not yet available.

 

http://www.columbuslandmarks.org/advocacy/central-presbyterian.php

Good news for the historic preservationists (myself included)... Columbus Landmarks sent out the following update via email on the fate of the Central Presbyterian Church in downtown:

 

Central Presbyterian Church in Contract

We are pleased to have learned that Central Presbyterian Church, 132 S. Third St., is in contract and its proposed new use will preserve the building. The Church closed in November and details of the transaction are not yet available.

 

http://www.columbuslandmarks.org/advocacy/central-presbyterian.php

Hope this happens!  Very encouraging news for one of the finest and oldest churches in the downtown core.

Today's update from Columbus Underground:

 

CU: CAPA Purchasing Historic Downtown Church

 

This is even better news than I could have guessed from jaymillah's update via Columbus Landmarks.  It is almost impossible for this historic church to get a better new owner than CAPA.  Great group with great funding.

 

More about CAPA's purchase of the Central Presbyterian Church from the Dispatch:

 

CAPA to purchase old Downtown church - Downtown landmark has lots of potential, CAPA president says

 

 

EDIT: Updated Dispatch article added

More about CAPA's purchase of the Central Presbyterian Church from the Dispatch:

 

CAPA to purchase old Downtown church - Downtown landmark has lots of potential, CAPA president says

 

 

EDIT: Updated Dispatch article added

 

The article mentioned a windstorm blowing off the original spire so historical curiosity got the better of me and I found this pic taken during construction of the old post office (Bricker & Eckler law offices now). Btw, if you're not already familiar, Columbus Metro Library's image gallery is exceptional http://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/cdm4/cml_collections.php?CISOROOT=/ohio but if you've got a thing for cbus history be prepared to spend way too many hours browsing.

Reposting some news from Business First about CAPA's purchase of the Central Presbyterian Church:

 

CAPA sets eyes on newly purchased Central Presbyterian church building as concert hall

By Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter

Business First - June 11, 2013, 10:42am EDT

 

Arts venue operator CAPA has added another historic place to its portfolio of Columbus properties.

 

CAPA closed on its purchase of the Central Presbyterian Church building at 132 S. Third St. in Columbus last week, more than a year after putting the property into contract.  It paid $589,000 for the building.

 

CEO William Conner Jr. told me the arts organization envisions a concert and recital hall with seating for at least 400 at the 156-year-old building.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2013/06/capa-sets-eyes-on-newly-purchased.html

Business First also had a good slideshow tour showing the interior of the historic Central Presbyterian Church at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2013/06/inside-capas-newest-property-central.html