Verona church building, 103 years old, named historic township landmark

The Verona United Methodist Church building was designated a historic township landmark by the Verona Township Council at its Monday meeting. The Verona Landmarks Preservation Commission recommended the designation and at the meeting, members presented research about the building in making their case.

ADAM ANIK/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The 103-year-old Verona United Methodist Church building, at 26 Montrose Ave., has remained relatively unchanged since its construction.

Built in 1909, Verona United Methodist Church was designed by Chicago-based architect W.R. Brown, using what is known as the Akron Plan, said commission chairwoman Jane Eliasof. The Akron Plan is named such because it was first used in the design of a church in Akron, Ohio, in the late 1800s.

Akron Plan churches have pews arranged in a semi-circle facing the altar. Sliding walls are located behind the last row of pews, allowing the church to create a separate space for classrooms or meetings.

The Verona church's original pulley system for those sliding walls is still intact, according to a commission report distributed at the meeting.

Moreover, the exterior of the church has retained most of its original features through the years, Eliasof said. An addition was put on the building some years ago, but that construction did not affect the building's original structure. A small doorway connects the new to the old.

In addition to its "architectural integrity," Eliasof said the building is "vital" to Verona's history. The Methodist Church was the first religious organization to establish itself in Verona, she explained. The first Methodist Church was built in 1833 on the northeast corner of Bloomfield and Grove avenues. The Methodists worshiped there until constructing the building on Montrose Avenue, she said.

A building with landmark status can undergo future construction, so long as that construction is consistent with the building's current architectural styling, Eliasof told a reporter.

Additionally, landmarks can not be demolished "as easily" as non-landmarks, she said.

"This ensures that in the middle of the night, someone doesn't just come in and say, 'We're going to knock this down,'" she added. "That's the danger with any building in town that isn't landmarked."

There are three levels of historic designation: local/town, state and national.

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Verona church building, 103 years old, named historic township landmark