Restoring history at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, located at High and Bowery, in downtown Akron is restoring history. As one drives down High, scaffolding towering alongside the 150 ft. rectangular basilica-type building is hard to miss.

The building was completed in 1877 for the cost of $16,000. The current restoration project that is being conducted solely on the outside of the building is more than $300,000. The cost to erect and tear down the scaffolding is $80,000.

The Durable Slate Company, of Columbus, is re-slating the steeple with the original patterns, replacing the very expensive original copper gutters, conducting slate roof repairs on the body of the church, and taking care of some much needed masonry work .

Beverly Stroll started coming to the church about 50 years ago and takes much pride in the architecture of the church.

She explains the intensive restoration. “We started to renovate as a beautification. We wanted to paint the inside of the church, but when (the Akron-based, restoration architects, Chambers, Murphy and Burge) examined it, they said that we had more pressing issues. The steeple was not firm in its foundation and water was coming in 2-3 places causing the paint in the sanctuary to peel.”

The church brought a local restoration architect in because they wanted to keep the appearance as close to the original as possible.

Stroll hopes they will be finished with the outside by Easter so they can start on the plastering and the painting of the sanctuary.

The inside is beautifully painted and it will take great skill to capture William Beck’s original artwork.

“Some of the symbols are very intricate,” Stroll explained as she pointed to the authentic Gothic-styled architecture. “We have to find someone who can do that.”

The people who started the church were German.

“The Gothic architecture was a very prominent style in Europe during that time,” Stroll explained. “People come from all over to visit the church.”

“We are very open. Anyone can marry here,” she said. “A lot of people get married here because they like the European look.”

The church was actually founded in 1854, under Pastor Peter J. Buehl. Many Germans came to Akron to help complete the Oho and Erie Canal. Buehl organized the church in 1855 with 75 members that met at his home. By 1858, they were a registered Lutheran Church and Pastor Buehl gave the congregation his organ that currently sits looking over the sanctuary in the choir loft.

Buehl also opened the church’s school in 1863 and had the first public school built in 1840 which is now known as the Old Stone School on Broadway and E. Buchtel.

Attendance grew rapidly. In 1889, he had another school built for $6,000. In 1915, an auditorium, classrooms, kitchen, library, and bowling alleys were added to the school.

They built the bowling alleys and had shuffle boards because, “they wanted members to stay. They wanted to keep them. They wanted their young people to date and marry one another so they could continue the German heritage,” Stroll believed.

The church and school were completely German speaking for many years. In fact, many who wanted English-speaking services left the church in 1904 and founded Concordia Lutheran on Sumner Street.

Zion continued their last German speaking service December of 2007. Pastor John Eiwen has been at Zion for 40 years and always kept the German service for those who spoke the language fluently.

The church also had some other traditions that have disappeared over the years.

“The women would sit on one side and the men on the other, during service,” Stroll laughed.

“My cousin married a man who tells stories. He went to church here when he was young. He said that the men and the women sat separate and if you fell asleep, they would prod you. That is a story where you don’t have proof of it, though.”

The buildings that stand on the downtown corner were built under the guidance of Rev. William

Lothmann, a pastor from 1872-1926. The church, the 1889 brick school, the 1915 school addition, and an old parsonage office building were all built under his leadership.

The organ was originally pumped by hand until it was run with waterpower. It was refurbished in 1987. “They had to send it to Europe,” Stroll explained. They were supposed to do it by ship. It was going to take too long so they had it flown over,” she laughed.

The altar is breathtaking. Across the front of the church are life-like statues of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, with Jesus standing in the center. Paintings of the Lamb of God, the hand of God, and a dove representing the Holy Spirit depict the Trinity. Twelve pictures surround the arch representing the twelve apostles. The cross was covered in bronze paint, but now is in Gold Leaf.

Many ministries operate from  this historic church.

They are best known for their sausage. The men of Zion make about 850 pounds of sausage, four times a year. They have to take orders ahead of time because they sell out.

The church holds a ministry on Saturdays called Jesus Said for the homeless. They feed, clothe and minister to hundreds that come into their doors. They also have a ministry to Channelwood Housing Development, and Akron Pregnancy holds the Lion Players at their facility. They have a food pantry for those in the downtown area.

They are the mother church to Concordia Lutheran, Redeemer Lutheran and Grace Lutheran. They are the grandmother to Hope Lutheran in Portage Lakes.

The physical school building has many ministries and Sunday School, but the school had to close in 2003 for financial reasons.

Beverly Stroll was the principal there for nine years.

She had many roles within the church, but she and her husband, Harold, are very thankful that they have spent the last 50 years there.         

“When we were young, we knew the church was important, but we didn’t know how important it would be our whole life through,” she said. “When I sat in a waiting area when my husband was in surgery and I wondered what I would do if they came out and told me he’s dead. When you have children and you have problems, or your parents die, it is not that God is going to make things right over night, but God will be there with you to see you through. That is when your faith says even if things don’t work out the way you want, God will be with you always.”