transitions

Bolton Avenue Presbyterian 1892-1923, became Antioch Baptist in 1934. For a time, Antioch had the largest black congregation in Cleveland. The largest faith group among black Clevelanders, and nationally, is Baptist. Antioch Baptist is involved with Cleveland Clinic, and is still culturally, and politically important in the city.

 This sign is partly neon, the cross on top replaced a star.

another church neon sign
 

At one time (1926-77) this was St. Archangel Michael Russian Orthodox Cleveland, it is now abandoned. In the brickwork is an Orthodox cross, the next occupant decided to put up a Latin cross up higher on a cupola with loudspeakers. When a church has a new congregation, there is often visual changes in style (often towards of reduced elegance, and when coupled with reduced maintenance, the resultant is entropic deterioration). Instead of an abandoned piano, there is an abandoned keyboard on the lowest step. Orthodox churches are free of musical instruments.

El Hasa Temple №28 Cleveland in the Desert of Ohio  

This was the parish hall. In 1955 a concert was held with Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, and others. There is a rumour, that someone filmed the event. No such film footage has been made public. A Shriners Lodge, in 1977, rented and later bought this building. By visual inspection, all of former St. Michael's is abandoned.

There is a church on Cedar with a flamboyant character in an almost pre-Christian Mesopotamian manner. It has twin towers, and this wonderful diagonal brick bond pattern in the center, between unsound stack bonds. This particular denomination is in several cities, and the chief church is in Washington DC, with many of the same elements. Cedar and Union have stretches that have several black churches. The ones on Cedar are more impressive in architecture. The ones on Union are more plentiful, nondescript, and dilapidated, and some may be derelict. Nearly all are some sort of Baptist, or some sort of Pentecostalist.