In Cleveland’s University Circle, two of that district’s tallest structures stand next to the Wade Lagoon. The district’s tallest structure, The 267-foot-tall Artisan apartments, was topping out in September 2022. But the district’s longtime height champion at 200 feet was the Church In The Circle, built in 1928 as the Epworth-Euclid United Methodist Church (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
Church In The Circle may find a new calling
When a church has been around for a long time, its name can often change. But for the 97-year-old Church In The Circle, 1919 E. 107th St., its appearance-based nickname has not changed — the “Holy Oil Can.” Nor has its ownership — until now.
The ownership is about to change. Earlier this week, the landmark Methodist church with its distinctive spire, was listed for sale with Howard Hanna Commercial Real Estate. An asking price wasn’t publicized. For tax purposes, Cuyahoga County has appraised the 54,081-square-foot church and its 1.64 acres of land at $2,445,500.
“The owner is selling the property due to the cost of maintaining the building in the face of declining membership,” said Howard Hanna Managing Director Julie Sabroff in an e-mail to NEOtrans.
According to Case Western Reserve University’s Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, the church had tried various efforts in recent decades to increase membership. First United Methodist Church at Euclid Avenue at East 30th Street and Epworth-Euclid UMC merged in 2009 and became University Circle United Methodist Church at the East 107th location.
Interior of the Church In The Circle. In 1992 the church renovated its 80-rank echo organ, one of only 3 or 4 such instruments in the country (LoopNet).
“In the early 1990s, Epworth-Euclid Church promoted an open-door policy: community groups offered day care and child development in the building and area music students utilized church rehearsal rooms,” CWRU reported. “In 2000, the church had active outreach groups and ministries for college students, young adults and young couples.”
Ultimately those efforts failed to keep up with rising costs of maintaining and operating the nearly century-old structure. The question is, if it can’t survive as a church in an era of declining interest in organized religion, how else could it be used?
Sabroff noted that the property is zoned MF-E3 — a high-density multifamily classification. But that doesn’t mean its use is limited to residential.
A photo of Church In The Circle next to the Wade Lagoon and Chester Avenue, as shown in the property’s real estate listing (Howard Hanna).
“It represents an opportunity to a new owner to use the property as either as a place of worship or to reimagine the property for adaptive reuse to housing, community-based services, education, a hub to arts and other non-profit organizations,” she said.
Its nickname is based on the structure looking like how oil cans were designed back when the church was built in 1928. It was declared a Cleveland Landmark by Cleveland City Council in 2013.
Before it was named Church In The Circle, it was called the University Circle United Methodist Church. It was built as the Epworth-Euclid United Methodist Church. Its congregation had its origins dating back to 1831.
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