Apropos to the title, this one is in need of some serious prayers to return it to some semblance of what we believe at one point was a lovely house of worship. You’ll pass it on your way down Central to the biggest answered prayer to date, new home of Indiana Landmarks at the former Central Avenue Methodist Church.
The “Green Book” for Herron Morton Place, a.k.a. the Conservation Plan prepared by the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission, published in 1986 says:
“This Romanesque Revival church has had numerous congreations of differeing faiths owning and worshiping in it. Originally constructed c. 1895 for the First Church of the United Brethren, the property was transferred to the Board of the House Missions of the Reformed Church of the U.S. in 1905. In 1910 it became the Central Avenue Reformed Church, and in 1923 was sold to the Central Hebrew Congregation, which occupied the building unitl 1958. The Central Hebrew Congregation was established in March 1923 by Orthodox Jews from the south side. Central Hebrew was located in the center of the middle class Jewish n orht-side. In 1970 the building belonged to the First United Evangelical Church” but was transferred within the year to the Faith Apostolic Church, which remains the current owner.
This brick-veneered church is covered with stucco and some windows are altered or filled in with brick. The building has a hipped roof with a projecting front gable and an octagonal corner baritzan tower with a conical roof. There is a group of four, arched windows with stone sills on the north side. The front facade has a large round-arched central stained-glass window with wooden tracerty. There is a shed-roof, stuccoed concrete-block addition on the south facade, built between 1915 and 1954.
Though we do not know if the same congregation occupies the building as did in 1986, here’s hoping they collect the funds to get their building faithfully restored soon.
