This Church Building in Cleveland OH has Seating for 1,500 People
St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, Cleveland Ohio
St. Michael's Church, at the time of its completion in 1892, was the largest, the most costly, and the most artistically notable church in the Cleveland Diocese. For many years it was the largest church in Cleveland, with a capacity of 1,500 persons. It is an important example of a church built to serve one of the immigrant communities so important in the development of Cleveland. It also gives evidence of the commerce of architectural ideas within the Catholic Church in northern Ohio.
St. Michael's was the outgrowth of a mission established in 1881 to minister to the needs of German Catholics in Cleveland, immigrants largely from Danzig and West Prussia. The plans by architect Adolph Druiding of Chicago were selected by Bishop Gilmour from a number submitted at the request of the pastor, Father Joseph M. Koudelka. The groundbreaking took place on June 19th, 1888, the cornerstone was laid on July 7th, 1889, and the completed church dedicated on November 2nd, 1892. Completed in stages, the church finally cost $148,000. Due to the destruction of the earlier temporary church by fire in 1891, the congregation had to occupy the new building sooner than anticipated, and it was completed five years ahead of schedule.
Adolph Druiding was also the architect of St. Patrick's Church in Toledo (1892-1901). Toledo was then a part of the Cleveland Diocese. There are striking resemblances in the design of the two churches, especially in the treatment of the interior columns and vaulting. Another connection is that Father Koudelka had served as a temporary substitute pastor in Toledo for four months in 1886.
Although the exterior windows are obscured, and the interior redecorated, St. Michael's is still one of the most impressive examples of High Victorian Gothic church architecture.
Building Description
This is a large church in the High Victorian Gothic style, measuring approximately 170' x 100'. It is constructed of random, rock-faced, stone masonry bearing walls, metal columns, timber roof framing, and plaster vaulting. The east facade on Scranton Road has two towers, which are square for approximately a third of their height, then octagonal with octagonal spires. Each facet of the octagon is marked by a steep pointed gable. The north spire is 232' tall, the south spire 180'.
Between the towers, three arched doorways are surmounted by steep gables. Above the doorways is a great pointed arch containing the focal point of the facade, a large rose window with elaborate stone mullions, now obscured by protective sheet glass. A 22' statue of St. Michael has been removed from the central front gable due to deterioration. The body of the church contains four bays marked by engaged buttresses, and a shallow transept.
On the interior, the vestibule, nave, and side aisle ceilings are groin-vaulted in form. The nave columns are clustered colonnettes, supporting naturalistic foliated stucco capitals. These support a smaller range of clustered columns which in turn support the ribbed vaulting. The multiplicity of ribs is derived from the English Gothic style. The vaulted sanctuary apse is polygonal, without windows. There are four windows on each side of the nave, and a larger one in each end of the transept.
The nave floor is wood, and the aisles are floored with white marble and blue tile. At eye level, a band of high relief blue and white foliated plaster ornament encircles the interior. The entire interior is painted in tones of light tan, deep rose, yellow and pale blue. The church is furnished with over fifty polychrome statues, many of which were imported from Europe.
In 1930 a major renovation of the interior included repainting the interior and ceiling, installation of a new organ and new high altar, and the replacement of a former system of electric and gasolier lighting along the nave with less elaborate hanging. The basic fabric of the building is unchanged.
Main facade (1974)
South elevation showing transept (1974)
