Broad Street Presbyterian Church: architectural history and significance in Columbus, Ohio

Street in Columbus, Ohio, the humbly named Broad Street Presbyterian Church was built in 1887, but has had several additional architectural elements added since then, including structural and functional spaces beyond the main apse and nave, ranging from a large north side parking area to the multiple annexes and entryways. The Broad Street Presbyterian Church occupies a relatively large footprint, spanning about four acres of urban land. On the south side of the street, the Broad Street Presbyterian Church receives an ample amount of sunlight throughout the day, which gleams and glows as it reflects on its flagstone finish. On its centennial in 1987, the church was formally added to the National Register of Historic Places in spite of its numerous modern additions, solidifying the church in Columbus's urban landscape. In fact, the Broad Street Presbyterian Church shares the street with four other landmark churches in Columbus, all built within the same basic time frame and in roughly the same style. However, the Broad Street Presbyterian Church has far more Romanesque features than its counterparts. The one-mild stretch between 3rd Street downtown and Garfield Avenue is home to Trinity Episcopal, St. Joseph Cathedral, First Congregational, Broad Street United Methodist, and the Broad Street Presbyterian Church, making Broad Street the de facto Christian hub of the city. Like the Broad Street Presbyterian Church, the Trinity Episcopal and Broad Street United Methodist are also ensconced on the National Register of Historic Places.

The panoply of external architectural features belies the overall harmony of the Broad Street Presbyterian Church. Depending on the event, time of day, and mode of transportation, the visitor can approach and enter the Broad Street Presbyterian Church from almost any cardinal direction. What is now considered the main entrance near the parking lot accounts for Columbus's car culture, linking the Broad Street Presbyterian Church with its geographic and temporal context. From the parking lot, visitors approach the Broad Street Presbyterian Church through one of its least compelling entry points and one of its newest additions: the arch and barrel-inspired skylight walkway, which from afar does injustice to and contrasts with the natural flagstone and its characteristic warmth. However, the archway terminates in a pointed flagstone archway, rendered in two different colors, beige and terracotta. The terracotta flagstone adorns the bottom layer of the arch as well as the semicircular Roman archway itself, while the beige flagstone takes up the upper portion and the pointed section of the north entrance. A cross is embedded into the upper portion of the external archway for a subtle yet strong reminder that this is a house of worship and not an office building.

Although the translucent archway does not appear harmonious or sophisticated from afar, it serves several distinct functions. One is to provide a covered walkway for guests to shelter themselves from the weather, and another is to symbolize the spiritual tenets of Christianity including the protection of God drawing worshippers inside. The barreled form of the skylight vault also corresponds with the Roman-style arches at either end, both the one embedded into the pointed standalone arch and the arch embedded in the actual edifice. An arched windowpane above the main doorway, plus a half moon glass section beneath provide additional harmonizing elements that make up for the textural incongruity. The skylight also represents exactly what the Church itself symbolizes: an area of sacred space in which the light of the heavens can still penetrate, to fill the material world with spiritual gifts. The design of the entrance also maximizes the use of natural light and provides an optimal transition from outside to inside. Moreover, the underside of the translucent panels is far more aesthetically pleasing than the outside visible from the street.

Overall, the Broad Street Presbyterian Church sits heavily, its flagstone weighing down the building and preventing it from having any ethereal feel as might be expected. On the other hand, the design and structural weight symbolize the groundedness and humility of the Presbyterian sect. Bereft of adornment, the exterior is austere yet populist. Windows are mainly rectangular with some on the bottom floor bearing half-moon lunettes, albeit most without stained glass. A few newer trees have been planted, and generally the landscaping is as sparse and austere as the building itself, almost as if it were deliberately designed that way. There is one larger, older tree in the main north facing lawn, and newer trees that have recently been planted are destined to fill in the empty space. The entire complex is sprawling, almost giving it a hodgepodge feel because of the way subsequent additions did not seamlessly blend into the previous incarnation of the church. The Broad Street Presbyterian Church is more like a cluster of buildings than a unified one, testimony to its evolution over the past century.

The interior is similarly inconsistent, with the entranceway and foyer austere and more akin to a community rec center or a school than a church, with its bland wood paneling, complete lack of adornment, and waiting room chairs to the side. The floor is travertine. Passing through the hallway, visitors climb a short flight of stairs finished in grey stone, after which the main and oldest sections of the church can finally be beheld. The Broad Street Presbyterian Church is unique in that there is a large, almost square main hall with only one aisle down the center and two rows of pews. This inhibits the movement of any members of the congregation sitting in the interior seats, who must walk down the entire row to get out. Technically, the main worship hall consists of two stories but the main floor is the one most commonly used for services. There is no apse and nave in the traditional sense, partly due to renovation projects, but there are remnants of the original design in the two side chapels, each of which boasts Tiffany stained glass windows and providing the only splash of color inside or out. The panels of glass depict the saints as well as the main one in the rear of the pews with a multi-panel set depicting Jesus delivering the Sermon on the Mount.

Barely noticeable from the exterior view are the vaulted ceilings, hearkening to the Broad Street Presbyterian Church's original Romanesque design. Small holes offer the addition of natural light to the artificial, but it is the recessed ceiling formed by cross beams that add charm and character. Painting the recessed squares formed by the cross beams would add depth and dimension but might also conflict with the general austerity of the building as a whole. The most notable ceiling section is of course the decorated archway in front of the main alter, where four rows of 13 circular paintings look down over the choir. The church organ pipes are located at the main alter too, arranged in five cascading layers for both visual aesthetics and acoustic appeal. The main alter also has a lunette plus triptych-style stained glass panels including a Christ in purple robes. However, the dais, pulpit and choir are suitably stark and handsome with their dark wood paneling. Three small steps separates the high alter area from the main worship zone.

Finally, the remaining architectural elements of the Broad Street Presbyterian Church comprise the community rooms, conference rooms, day care center, and other functional areas including washrooms. The role of the church as a community gathering space and hub of social activity is evident in its architecture. More than just a space for personal spiritual encounters and prayer, the Broad Street Presbyterian Church creates an open, inclusive, and grounded environment where residents of and visitors to Columbus can gather for a service or any other day of the week. All the interior and exterior spaces are large, permitting the free flow of people and offering an uninhibited sense of movement and flow.