A Towering Pile

March 2025.

I was blown away at the scale of the Gothic Revival Covenant Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Ohio. I couldn’t find too much history and didn’t intend to give this church its own article, but the highly detailed architecture just begged to be photographed. It was the largest of any church of the three towns I had then visited (Newark, Sidney, and Springfield).

Covenant Presbyterian Church is located at 201 North Limestone Street, on the northern edge of downtown. It is bordered by Buck Creek to the north, North Street and the Clark County Courthouse to the south, Limestone Street and the Springfield News-Sun Building to the east, and some commercial buildings to the west.

History

Presbyterians arrived in Clark County in the early 1800s, and they built a small 20’ x 30’ building south of Main Street in 1811, which was used by multiple denominations. The First Presbyterian Church was established in 1819--at that time, Springfield’s population was 510 people. Its first permanent home was built at the corner of Main Street and Fisher Street in 1829, a plain brick building with wood-burning stoves for warmth. It was outgrown by 1848 and replaced by a larger church across the street, which was two stories and included rooms for Sunday school and a library. Its original bell hangs in the tower of the existing church today. First Presbyterian soon grew so large that the congregation couldn’t fit inside the church, so the Second Presbyterian branch split off in 1860, establishing another church on the east side of Limestone Street between Main Street and High Street. A third branch was established in 1894, and their church still stands today on Limestone Street across Buck Creek.

The denominations decided to reunite during the 1910s, as downtown Springfield was expanding and a new church building was again needed. Covenant Presbyterian Church was established in 1919, and they purchased the lot where the extant church stands in 1922.

Historic photo of the church. (Ohio History Connection)

The plans for the standing church, a “towering pile” of masonry, were drawn by Philadelphia architect George E. Savage, and its stained-glass windows were designed by P. J. Reeves. Its construction began in 1925 and was completed around 1926, at a cost of $515,000. It is a very literal and grand example of late Gothic Revival architecture, with its large Latin cross plan and 120-foot tower. 

The church was most recently renovated from 1976-1977, which restored the exterior and improved heating systems inside. It remains in excellent condition today.

Photos

I like the framing of this earlier photo better, but it’s not as well-lit:

There’s something very compelling about Gothic churches in moody weather, though. It reminds me of a castle on a dark and stormy night. Here’s a closer look on the sunny day I visited a week later:

Interestingly, the tower isn’t attached to the nave at all, instead floating slightly east along the wing of the church. I like the cloister effect that’s created in plan, but it’s rather small and ordinary.

Viewed from the parking lot across the street:

A great Gothic church always overwhelms in scale. I personally prefer the vertical nature of French Gothic rather than England’s Perpendicular Gothic (though that style is also pretty great). Admittedly, I think this one is more English-inspired, but the scale is nonetheless massive.

Detail of the portal:

Note the two cornerstones--the eastern stone reads the date of the church’s construction (1926) in Roman numerals, and the western briefly describes when and how Covenant Presbyterian was founded.

This carved tympanum is just fantastic:

…as is the rose window’s tracery (as shoddily framed as this is):

The roof and surrounding elements of the nave:

The octagonal buttresses are topped with pinnacles, and the peak of the roof features a cross. I’m unsure why the central niche is empty, though.

The tower is my favorite feature of all. Heavily decorated at the top, its scale is sublime.

Looking north:

Note the little plaque reliefs that read “IHS,” which is a common Christogram of the first three letters of Jesus’ name in Greek.

I condensed all the details on the top into this one photo:

Elaborate tracery, angel grotesques (these don’t spout water and therefore are not gargoyles), high pinnacles, and the telescoping forms of the buttresses make this crown a very dynamic one. I’m very proud of this photo.

Springfield has an excellent array of large, elaborate churches in different styles. Stay tuned for my articles on the Richardsonian Romanesque St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran and the much more vertical St. Raphael.

Sources:

https://www.springfieldcovenant.org/about

https://ohiomemory.org/digital/collection/p267401coll34/id/4748/