The First German Reformed Church was located along Freeman Avenue in Cincinnati, Ohio.
History
Constructed in 1850 as the First German Reformed Church along Freeman Avenue in the West End neighborhood,(1) the house of worship was constructed with a front limestone exterior with a side and rear constructed of brick. The northeast corner features a steeple constructed with a limestone facade, and a bay of four large, stained glass windows on the southern and northern walls. 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.
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. A new congregation formed and the property became known as the Freeman Avenue United Church of Christ in 1970,(2) which lasted only five years before closing.(1) The property was then transferred to Seven Hills Neighborhood Houses, Inc. on November 18, 1993.
First German Reformed was slated for demolition until Over-the-Rhine Adopt was established and began matching property owners to prospective buyers. The church was marketed for a discount rate, with the condition that the new owners make necessary repairs to stabilize the building and pay all back taxes and fees. On January 20, 2011, Teddy Aitkins, Manny Hernandez and Skye White purchased the church and have begun making repairs to stabilize the property and get it back within city compliance. Windows and doors were secured, and roof repairs were started.
Sources
- “German Evangelical & Lutheran Church Records.” Cincinnati & Hamilton County, Ohio Resources. 20 July 2009 Article.
- 2. First Reformed Church. “Church records, 1844-1977.” Genealogical Society of Utah (Salt Lake City) 1993. 22 July 2009. Microform.
