Broad Street Presbyterian Church: Architecture & Design

Introduction and Historic Context

Located on Broad 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. These additions range from a large north-side parking area to multiple annexes and entryways. The church occupies a relatively large footprint, spanning about four acres of urban land. Situated on the south side of the street, it receives an ample amount of sunlight throughout the day, which gleams and glows as it reflects off 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 its place in Columbus's urban landscape. 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 — though the Broad Street Presbyterian Church has far more Romanesque features than its counterparts. The one-mile 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, Trinity Episcopal and Broad Street United Methodist are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Exterior Architecture and Entry Sequence

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, visitors can approach and enter the 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 church with its geographic and temporal context.

From the parking lot, visitors approach through one of the church's least compelling entry points and one of its newest additions: the arch-and-barrel-inspired skylight walkway, which from afar does a disservice 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 occupies the upper portion and the pointed section of the north entrance. A cross is embedded into the upper portion of the external archway, providing a subtle yet strong reminder that this is a house of worship and not an office building.

Symbolism of the North Entrance and Skylight Walkway

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; 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 in 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 compensate for the textural incongruity.

The skylight represents exactly what the church itself symbolizes: a sacred space in which the light of the heavens can still penetrate, filling 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 exterior visible from the street.