While the location of Old Stone Church at the heart of the city was integral to the identity of the institution, it also forced the church to face issues associated with a migrating laity. Since Cleveland's origins as a city, residents with the ability to move outside of the congested downtown have settled increasingly farther from the urban core. Unlike many of Cleveland's ethnic and neighborhood parishes, Old Stone Church's congregation did not live near their house of worship. This often led to the development of sister churches in areas outside of downtown, and even culminated in discussions of moving the congregation to a new site on Euclid Avenue and East 55th Street after a fire destroyed much of the church's interior in 1885. In the end, the decision was made to rebuild on the historic site where the church has remained as a symbol of Cleveland's past.
