A 117-year-old church with roots in the pre-Civil War abolitionist movement inched closer Monday to the wrecking ball.

        The owner of the former Walnut Hills Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Donald Jordan, obtained a demolition permit from the city of Cincinnati on Monday, and remains pessimistic that someone will step up with the funding to save the building.

        The church at Gilbert and Taft avenues was built in 1885 by the Lane Theological Seminary, leading anti-slavery voices in the early to mid-1800s.

        “I just can't see how it can be done. Everything points to how much money I'll have to put into it,” said the Rev. Mr. Jordan, who plans to build a chapel on the site for his adjacent funeral home.

        He contracted with Acme Construction Services of Walnut Hills, which could start “within a matter of days” of getting the go-ahead, Acme CEO Sky Smith said Monday.

        The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

        Paul Muller, president of the Cincinnati Preservation Association, said the group's board voted to help on a 25 percent tax credit, and that renovation could be completed for about $1 million.

        Ohio Sen. Mark Mallory, D-Cincinnati, has offered to make a $500,000 request from the state's capital appropriations budget.

        The Rev. Mr. Jordan said he appreciates the effort, but can't be assured the money will be available.

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