By Kevin Aldridge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Paul Muller, president of the Cincinnati Preservation Association, is still hoping the old Walnut Hills Presbyterian Church can be saved (Michael E. Keating photos) | ZOOM |

A historic 117-year-old church building in Walnut Hills has dodged a date with the wrecking ball this Valentine's Day.

However, the Rev. Donald Jordan Sr., owner of Walnut Hills Presbyterian Church, said the stone structure at Gilbert and Taft avenues would be torn down as soon as the city approves a demolition permit.

Jordan, whose Thompson Hall & Jordan Funeral Homes is next door, plans to expand the funeral home to stay competitive in the city.

Jordan said he applied for the permit last month and should have had it granted by now. He questioned whether the city was "stonewalling" him.

"If my name were Pepper or Lindner my permit would have been issued that same day," Jordan said. "Competition in the funeral home business is very keen and I can't afford to wait any longer. There comes a point when it's time to move on."

Walnut Hills Presbyterian Church was built in 1885 by affiliates of the Lane Theological Seminary, key players in the pre-Civil War movement to abolish slavery. The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but is not locally designated.

The Rev. Donald Jordan Sr., owner of Walnut Hills Presbyterian Church, posed in the crumbling sanctuary in 2002. (Enquirer file photo) | ZOOM |

The Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation and the Cincinnati Preservation Association are trying to arrange a last-minute agreement to save the church. For the past year, the two agencies have been working to help Jordan fund the expansion of his funeral home at a new site in Walnut Hills. They are also searching for someone to buy or rent the church.

Paul Muller, a local architect and president of the Cincinnati Preservation Association, said a deal is close, but nothing's firm. Muller said destroying the church would be a tragic loss for a neighborhood on the cusp of a renaissance.

"Rev. Jordan has a legal right to tear down the building, but I can't believe that the best thing for either him or Cincinnati is to tear it down," Muller said. "It's an important, historic landmark and when these things are torn down you don't get a second chance to say, `Maybe it did make sense to keep that vital part of the community.' "

The church has been a gathering spot for neighborhood residents for decades and home to at least three religious denominations over the past 20 years. It is now closed and in disrepair.

Attorney Leslie Isaiah Gaines, a former judge and evangelist, said he has great sentimental attachment to the old Presbyterian church. The birth of his Everybody's Tabernacle Ministry took place inside its stone walls on Mother's Day in 1998.

The landmark at Gilbert and Taft has served several denominations over its lifetime. | ZOOM |

"Too many unique and historic buildings have gone the way of the wrecking ball in the name of progress," he said. "I hope the church can be saved and put to some use that can outlive both me and Rev. Jordan."

Jordan, who purchased the building in 1998, said he recognizes the significance of the structure and at one time even invested about $500,000 toward its renovation.

"If there were some way to save it, if it were possible to build a brand new place, of course, I'd opt for that," Jordan said. "They have had every opportunity to do what they could do, but they have not been able to come up with anything."

Last spring, Ohio Sen. Mark Mallory successfully appealed to Jordan to postpone demolition until the senator could make a proposal for state funding.

Mallory, D-Cincinnati, had said he would request $500,000 from the state's next capital budget. But the state's budget woes make it unlikely that those dollars would be available, Muller said.

However, some fund-raising efforts have met with success, he said. Led by Councilman Jim Tarbell, chair of the new Arts and Culture Committee, City Council approved a $50,000 grant for the project last April.

Muller said a group of investors is interested in buying or renting the church and converting it into a media production facility. .

"This is not only about saving the church. It is about saving that corner and trying to change and revitalize an entire neighborhood that has a strong sense of history," said Jim King, director of the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation.

"On a personal level I'm surprised at how bad I'm going to feel if it is torn down," Muller said. "Rev. Jordan has been very accommodating in giving us time to come up with a plan," he said. "If it doesn't work out, it won't be because he didn't try."

E-mail kaldridge@enquirer.com