Old Stone Church, Interior
The church was destroyed again in 1884 as heat from a fire in the adjoining Wick Building's Park Theater ignited the ceiling of the church and quickly spread throughout the interior. Architect Charles Schweinfurth, best known for his work on Cleveland's Millionaire's Row, was hired to restore the church and reinforce the damaged exterior walls. Schweinfurth's elaborate redesign of the church interior is essentially what can be viewed today. The spire, deemed unsafe and a threat to public safety, was removed in 1896.
Fire would strike Old Stone Church a third time in 1931. Believed to have been caused by a cigarette, flames engulfed the church's basement, recreation rooms, stairwell, and chapel. Fireproof walls installed during the previous restoration prevented the flames from reaching the church or parish house.
Photograph courtesy of Cleveland State University Special Collections