A Brief History and Tour of Grace
Grace Lutheran Church was originally located at E. 55th and Lexington in the city of Cleveland. Founded in 1898, Grace was the only English-speaking Lutheran church in the downtown area. The congregation moved to Cleveland Heights in the 1920's because Cleveland Heights was seen as an un-served area.
The Cedar Road church was dedicated on September 25, 1927, however the lower level of the building was in use from 1925. The lounge and offices were added in the 1960's. The architects were Corbusier, Lensky, & Foster. W.J. Wefel supervised the construction, and Corbusier is a widely-recognized architect.
The design of Grace Church is Tudor-Gothic, which is very ornate on the inside and plain on the outside. Grace was designated as an historic landmark because it is authentic Tudor-Gothic with traditional materials, and with all of the primary structure intact.
Sanctuary Symbolism
The Altar is made of marble and is in the shape of a tomb, as is typical of Gothic churches, and extends all the way to the basement. It is marked on top with five crosses signifying the five wounds of Christ. On the front of the Altar, within the field of two blue diamonds, are the Greek letters Alpha and Omega which represent the scripture from Revelations, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." (Ch 22) In the center is IHS -- the first letters of the Greek words meaning "Jesus, Our Savior". The Altar Cross contains the symbols of the four evangelists.
The six candles represent the six days of creation, and can be "read" from right to left, a nod to the original Hebrew text from which the story comes.
Above the Altar is a carved wooden screen featuring the Grape and Vine motif, seen throughout the church. It is especially noticeable on the communion rail, where it incorporates the gold of wheat to symbolize bread. None of the colors, the red and blue behind the alter, or the colors on the communion rail, has been retouched or enhanced in the years since they were originally painted.
View the Nave
