The Bowling Green Historic Preservation Commission has selected First Presbyterian Church, 126 S. Church St., as the Historic Building of the Month for December.
The First Presbyterian Church, Bowling Green’s only church on Church Street, was established in 1855 by several members of the Church of the Plain, today’s Plain Congregational Church, northwest of Bowling Green. The Church of the Plain had been established in 1823 as a Presbyterian Indian Mission along the Maumee River.
The current church building is the third one to serve the Bowling Green Presbyterians. The first was a small wooden structure with a steeple built in 1860, looking somewhat like Prout Chapel at BGSU.
The second church was a beautiful brick edifice built in 1888 for $15,000. It was designed by Columbus architect J. W. Yost and patterned after the Methodist Episcopal Church in Westerville. When it was built, the original church was moved to the south and the 1888 church was constructed on the same site.
Tragedy struck the morning of Jan. 2, 1919, when the pastor, Rev. Edwin Rogers, discovered the church filled with smoke. Even though the fire department was right across the street, the fire burned quickly and the roof caved in 45 minutes later. The church was a total loss.
Two weeks later, a congregational vote was taken to construct a new church – the third and current building. It was constructed on the same site as the first two buildings. William Nicholas of Cleveland was the architect. Plans were prepared by Langdon, Hohly and Gram of Toledo. while Watts and Suhrbier also of Toledo was the general contractor. While the church was being constructed, the congregation met in the courthouse meeting room. The present building was dedicated the week of December 5-10, 1922.
The church building has undergone a number of changes over the years. In 1961 a new educational unit was built adjoining the church to the south. The front steps and interior of the church have been modified several times and a new organ was installed in 1985.
Possibly the most beautiful modification to the church occurred in 1938 when Agnetta Brown Chidester- Baldwin (as you may recall from last month’s Building of the Month highlight, she resided at 707 W. Wooster St.), wife of Judge Frank Baldwin, donated $8000 (equivalent to about $150,000 today) for the church to install 24 stained glass windows in memory of her son, Murray Brown Chidester, who had been tragically killed in an accident.
All the glass was imported and installed by Henry F. Keck and Company of New York. Each window depicts a scene of the life of Christ. In 2015-16 each of the glass panes were removed and taken away to be cleaned, restored, re-leaded and reinstalled at a cost of over $155,000. This process took almost two years.
The other major change occurred when the junior high was torn down and the Wooster Green was established. Now for the first time in many years, the church with its stained-glass windows can be seen from Wooster Street.
First Presbyterian’s mission continues to be one of outreach and inclusivity. All are welcome at First Presbyterian Church of Bowling Green.
Would you like to nominate a historic building or site for recognition? You can do this through the City website at – https://www.bgohio.org/FormCenter/Planning-13/Historic-BuildingSite-Nomination-Form-83
You can learn more about the Historic Preservation Commission by attending its meetings (the fourth Tuesday of each month at 4 p.m.) or by visiting the webpage at – https://www.bgohio.org/436/Historic-Preservation-Commission
(Article by Dick Martin, member of the Friends of the Historic Preservation Commission and of First Presbyterian Church.)
