Built in 1850, The Freeman Avenue United Church of Christ was originally known as the First German Reformed Church. In 1918, they dropped the German part of the name due to the spreading of anti-German sentiment following WWI. Fortuitous move, considering what happened about 20 years later.
The church began to struggle financially in the 60s, as the changing demographic and economic decline of the neighborhood saw a marked decrease in attendance. The church closed in 1970 and moved to a new location. The building sat empty and decaying and was slated for demolition until it was purchased in 2011. Fundraisers were held and repairs began, but ultimately the project stalled, and the church remains abandoned.
The First German Reformed Church in its early operational days, c/o cincinnativiews.net
The church currently, c/o google maps
The church enjoyed a brief yet questionable resurgence as The Church of Rock n’ Roll, as featured in the Foxy Shazam music video for “I Like It.”
Here are two screenshots from the music video:
The church when I explored it in 2013:
To see more photos of the First German Reformed Church, go to the Flickr set.
_______
Disclaimer: If any information is incorrect, if you have more info, or if you’d just like to tell me something, feel free to contact me.
To support my work and see new comics, go here. To buy books, original artwork, merch, and more, visit my website store. Follow me on instagram.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.