Miles Park Methodist Church

The Miles Park Methodist Church, later home to the Pentecostal Determine Church of God, is an abandoned church at 9105 Miles Park Avenue in the Union-Miles Park neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio.

History

The Miles Park Methodist Church, later home to the Pentecostal Determine Church of God, is an abandoned church at 9105 Miles Park Avenue in the Union-Miles Park neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio.

Newburgh Township was established in 1814 and quickly grew to become one of two centers of the regional steelmaking industry by 1856, eventually becoming the largest settlement in the area. ² Irish and Welsh immigrants began seeking work in the mills near East 91st and East 93rd Streets, with the area at East 93rd Street and Union Avenue becoming known as “Irishtown.” However, after an 1882 steel mill strike was broken using Polish and Slovak strikebreakers, these two new immigrant groups displaced the large Irish and Welsh communities. By 1905, most of the township had been annexed into the City of Cleveland.

The Miles Park United Methodist congregation was founded by Lyman Ferris in 1832. ^{1 4} Originally, it met in a farmhouse near present-day Harvard Avenue and East 71st Street before relocating to Newburgh’s town hall. ⁴ In 1841, the church received a piece of land at Miles Park Avenue and present-day East 91st Street from the estate of Theodore Miles, which became the home for a new frame church in 1850. ^{3 4} As the steel industry grew in the neighborhood in the 1850s, the size of the congregation increased. The original church was moved to the corner of East 92nd Street and Walker Avenue in 1872 to make way for a larger church building. ³

A new Miles Park United Methodist Church building was constructed in 1872-83 in the Gothic Revival architectural style. ³ The structure lost its 85-foot-high steeple to fire in 1925, and in 1937, the interior was renovated, leaving little of its original character. The building contributed to the Miles Park Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Union-Miles Park experienced a period of decline starting in the 1960s, coinciding with broader shifts in urban development and economic challenges. This decline can be attributed to various factors, including changing housing patterns and economic downturns. As industries and businesses shifted away from the area, local jobs became less available, impacting the community’s economic stability. Additionally, as population dynamics changed and infrastructure aged, the neighborhood faced challenges in maintaining its vibrancy and attracting investment.

The Miles Park Methodist Church congregation was discontinued in 1978, and the church structure was sold to the predominantly African-American congregation of the Allen Chapel-Missionary Baptist Church in 1979. ⁴ It was later sold to the Pentecostal Determine Church of God congregation. However, the roof of the closed church failed in 2020, forcing the congregation to relocate.

On March 28, 2024, the abandoned Pentecostal Determine Church of God building was destroyed by fire. ¹

Gallery

Sources

Buduson, Sarah. “Cleveland will demolish Pentecostal Determine Church of God after Thursday morning fire, city says.” News 5 Cleveland, 28 Mar. 2024.
“District 4: Union-Miles.” Cleveland City Planning Commission.
“Union Miles Neighborhood Master Plan.” The Union Miles Development Corporation, Apr. 2004.
Armstrong, Foster, et al. “Allen Chapel-Missionary Baptist Church.” A Guide to Cleveland’s Sacred Landmarks, The Kent State University Press, 1992, p. 198.