First German Reformed Church

Constructed in 1850 as the First German Reformed Church along Freeman Avenue, the house of worship was constructed with a front limestone exterior with the remainder in brick, a limestone-fronted steeple, and a bay of four large, stained glass windows on the southern and northern front of the building. A parsonage was constructed in the lot to the south of the church, fronting Findlay Street. The church served the West End, a German-American neighborhood, only blocks from downtown Cincinnati.

 

The church became known as the First Reformed Church in 1918, although it was forced to sell the property after the congregation dwindled as the neighborhood declined in 1970. It became known as the Freeman Avenue United Church of Christ in 1970, which lasted only five years before closing, The property was then transferred to Seven Hills Neighborhood Houses, Inc. on November 18, 1993.

 

Click through to find more photographs about the First German Reformed Church in Cincinnati.

 

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What a damn shame about the status of this building. The neighborhood is pretty rough, although I would not characterize it as a goner. Most of the redevelopment efforts have been focused in nearby Over-the-Rhine because of the viability of the building stock, while much of the West End has remained rather stale.

 

Click through to find more photographs about the First German Reformed Church in Cincinnati.

Thanks!

are there any current redevelopment efforts going on right now in the west end?