'A new chapter': First Lutheran Church begins repairs on historic bell tower

After two years of uncertainty over the future of a historic bell tower in Over-the-Rhine, repairs are finally underway.

Work to stabilize First Lutheran Church's bell tower, built in 1895, began last week and is expected to be substantially complete by the year's end, according to Brian Ferguson, co-pastor of the church.

Ferguson said the roughly $315,000 of repairs do not constitute the full extent of work needed to fix the tower, but it will allow the congregation to return to the building for the first time in nearly three years.

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"It's the beginning of a new chapter," said Josh Miller, co-pastor of First Lutheran. "We're excited to turn that page and rebuild our ministry."

$1.5M in repairs needed to fully restore Over-the-Rhine bell tower

While the repairs mark the beginning of the end of a rocky journey for the church, there's still much work to be done. Another $1.5 million worth of repairs will be needed to fully restore the tower after the initial work is finished, Ferguson said, adding there's not a clear plan as to how and when those repairs will be carried out.

But even though the current repair plan will allow people to reoccupy the building, it is not the solution the church had hoped for, Ferguson said.

"But it did come down to a point where we just were out of time and out of funds," he said. "So the choice before us was close the church and sell the building and cease to exist or go down this other path."

Fate of First Lutheran bell tower has been in question for years

The fate of First Lutheran's bell tower, which overlooks Washington Park, has been in question for years. A November 2020 emergency demolition order from the city said the tower "has suffered serious deterioration, is in danger of collapse, and presents an immediate threat and hazard to the public safety."

First Lutheran halted demolition several times in a bid to stabilize and restore the iconic bell tower, but fundraising efforts were ultimately unsuccessful and the church decided to go ahead with demolition. The tower's demolition was fiercely opposed by preservationists, who took the issue before the city and courts.

"We're super excited for First Lutheran and the future of their ministry," said Danny Klingler, founder of OTR Adopt  – a nonprofit organization that seeks to preserve historic buildings. He described the outcome as a "win, win," noting that the congregation will be able to return to the building and at the same time the tower is being preserved.

"We're just as thrilled as anybody to see that this historic landmark on Washington Park is going to be ringing its bell for generations to come," Klingler said.

Klingler filed a lawsuit in December, which has since been dismissed, against the city and church seeking to halt the demolition effort. The lawsuit followed a decision by the Cincinnati Board of Building Appeals to uphold the city's emergency order.

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Under the city's municipal code, property owners in a historic district, like in Over-the-Rhine, must obtain a certificate of appropriateness from the city's historic conservation board, unless an emergency demolition order is issued for the property.

OTR Adopt has said the church tried to circumvent the city-mandated process by seeking an emergency demolition order.

Hamilton County court records show OTR Adopt filed an administrative appeal challenging the board of building appeals decision. That case is currently being heard in court and a magistrate blocked the city from issuing demolition permits for the church and an adjacent property until otherwise ordered.

At the heart of the dispute between First Lutheran and OTR Adopt was the extent of the work needed to avoid demolition, as well as the cost associated with the restoration effort.

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Engineers commissioned by the church found early last year that stabilizing and restoring the landmark would cost over $3 million. Klingler commissioned another structural engineering firm to perform an assessment of the bell tower, which found "there were no apparent signs of distress indicating an imminent risk of collapse."

In court documents, OTR Adopt's attorneys argued the $3 million repair cost stemmed from excess upgrades to make the tower better able to withstand wind and earthquakes. However, the church has said that without those repairs the bell tower would be "unsafe and at risk of collapse should it experience a significant wind event."

Stabilization work underway for historic bell tower in OTR

First Lutheran and OTR Adopt reached an agreement in April, resulting in the commission of a third structural engineering report. In that report, engineers laid out short-term and long-term fixes to stabilize the tower.

The stabilization work currently underway includes a plan to address potential wind hazards, Ferguson said. However, he added, there are other issues that won't be addressed with these repairs, such as water infiltration and pieces of stone falling off the tower.

In the most recent report, engineers said the tower is far enough from the right-of-way on Race Street that falling debris poses a minimal hazard to the public.

A look back: Demolition of historic bell tower moving forward after funds were not set aside in city's capital budget

Ferguson said he's hopeful the community will help First Lutheran fund future restoration efforts, but the remaining repairs will have to happen regardless.

"Whether the community helps or we're on our own it has to be done, there's no choice," he said of finishing the renovations. "The question is, how long will it take? And what will that restoration effort look like?"

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: First Lutheran Church in OTR begins repairs on historic bell tower