herr2ck: Bifora

February 2026.

The First A.M.E. Zion Church (First A.M.E. for brevity) on Bryden Road is a stalwart, monochromatic example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. Its massive windows, which each feature two bifora windows nestled within a larger one, are highlights of its eclectic interpretation of the Romanesque style. Though the area’s demographics and even the congregation itself have shifted considerably, the church still stands as a landmark in Olde Towne East.

First A.M.E. is located at 873 Bryden Road in the Olde Towne East neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. It is bordered by Bryden Road to the north, Bryden Alley to the south, 18th Street to the east, and houses to the west. It is located inside and a part of the Bryden Road District.

History

Illustration of the church’s first home. (Columbus Metropolitan Library)

The church now known as First A.M.E. can trace its history back to 1813 or 1814, when the First Methodist congregation was founded in Columbus as the Town Street Methodist Church. (The other A.M.E. church in Columbus, St. Paul’s, stems from that congregation.) They began using a small log building at Town Street and Pearl Street in 1814 on a lot donated by the city, which was demolished in 1825 for a larger brick church.

The second Town Street Methodist church building. (Columbus Metropolitan Library)

The log cabin that Town Street Methodist used was demolished and replaced by a brick building on the same site completed in 1826, which appeared to be a Federal design. Again, this church did not last long either, and it was demolished in 1852.

1890 photo of the third Town Street Methodist church. (Columbus Metropolitan Library)

First Methodist’s third church building was completed in 1853. It was a much grander Gothic Revival design with buttresses along the nave and a tall central tower. Apparently, the church had the largest auditorium in the entire city at the time, and it held the first Republican convention in Ohio in 1854.

The former nave (at rear) of First Methodist as the Columbus Public School Library. (Columbus Metropolitan Library)

In 1890, the school district purchased the church building and extensively renovated it for their own use, demolishing the tower and building a new Richardsonian Romanesque facade facing the street. I cover that building’s history in its own article after this point. It is unclear where Town Street Methodist held their services in the interim, possibly at another church downtown, but they decided to move to the rapidly growing Olde Towne East.

1901 photo of the recently completed church. (Columbus Metropolitan Library)

The existing church building is an example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style. I thought its eclectic appearance meant that it would be a Yost & Packard design, but it was actually designed by George Bellows. However, one source attributes Y&P as associate architects for the project. Construction began on the church on July 28, 1898, and it was dedicated on February 4, 1900.

The church’s nave in 1970. (Columbus Metropolitan Library)

Town Street Methodist’s documented history stops after the building’s completion in 1900, beyond the congregation’s name change to First Methodist between 1901 and 1921. However, it likely suffered from the eventual urban decay of Bryden Road and Olde Towne East in the 1960s, as expressways were built to separate the neighborhood from downtown and white residents fled to the suburbs. The remaining population was largely Black, and in line with this demographic shift, the building was sold to a church called Caldwell Temple in 1969. It was then renamed to First A.M.E. Zion Church, its current name. First A.M.E. remains the owner of the church today.

Photos

I really enjoyed wandering around this church and getting tons of macro shots of all the ornamentation. In my opinion, this is one of the most interesting church designs in Columbus, with a myriad of subtle carved details.

Not the greatest photo of the north facade, but it’ll do:

Its design is largely symmetrical, though the two towers are of different heights (85 feet versus 40). The building uses a uniform shade of gray masonry, which is both rusticated and finished smooth in different areas.

The cornerstone is embedded in the corner tower, which is a little worn from age, but the four dates can just barely be made out--1813, 1826, 1853, and 1899.

The base of the tallest tourelle has this ornamental cluster with an angel staring off into space:

It leads up to this pinnacle:

The sun also lit up the art glass in the larger window here:

Varying heights of the two tourelles versus the steeple:

These windows may just be my favorite of any Columbus church. I love their nesting effect and the elaborate stained-glass, and I devoted much time to documenting them.

Gates-4th United Methodist is another Yost & Packard church with a similar window design, though those have been obscured with dark glass covers.

I mostly did that with the east window, though. I’ll include these two as a little teaser:

The northeast entrance portal has a broadly vaulted entrance with two stubby columns:

I covered the northwest entrance in more depth, so I’ll save the prose until then. I mainly got details of the imposts and column capitals here.

These capital designs are just so beautiful, with lovely plastic, flowing ornamentation unfurling across the flaring capital:

The opposite end has a boyish angel’s face peeking out from behind two feathered wings:

The church’s wall sign is adjacent to this entrance:

Northwest entrance:

This arched portal has tons of depth, with several recessed archivolts. The intricate banded ornament is some of the best of Columbus’s Richardsonian Romanesque architecture:

The stained-glass tympanum looks brand-spanking new.

Although much of the carved stone ornamentation is in immaculate condition, some of the imposts and column capitals have been allowed to grow mossy. I think this has an interesting depth-adding effect to the reliefs:

Only high-style Richardsonian Romanesque buildings have such varying column capitals as this one. From afar they look alike, yet upon closer inspection their individual intricacies are revealed.

Are these of Biblical figures, or self-portraits of the architects or masons?

One of the shorter tower’s deeply punched windows:

A view from the northwest:

The west facade of the church isn’t very interesting, but it originally abutted a house that has since been demolished for the parking lot:

If you leave out the clunky boxes of the vestry/offices, it is at least more coherent:

I like the two brutal piers thrusting their way into the sky, I think they are chimneys for the basement or something similar.

This end has very few windows. This first set consists of four rectangular windows with stone tympanums:

There is also a small rose window above:

The smaller tower as viewed from this side:

The interlocking columns are very interesting and add depth to the crown.

A similar view from the north:

There is also a little fleche on the roof. It was tough to get from so far away, but I have a better view of it later on:

I like this little side entrance, which uses a different shade of stone (or maybe it weathered differently):

The area in the back is pretty ramshackle. It has a largely brick facade with slate tiles on the second floor:

Let’s pivot to the eastern end now. It is expressed identically to the north facade:

The tower, as viewed from the east:

The rapidly alternating weather from shade to bright sunlight was irritating to take photos in, but it suited the grisaille masonry that the church is built of.

The base has three small punched windows and a small course supported by dentils above:

In the middle stretches this tall openwork trifora window, which seems to have diamond-shaped panes of colored glass behind it:

Finally, the crown of the tower and its varying picturesque steeples:

A straighter view of the northern entrance’s vaulting:

These imposts use aniconic ornament, lacking the realistic faces of the north side:

Again, every capital and impost has a different design here.

I enjoyed this more abstract photo, which highlights the contrast between the finished ashlar lining the portals versus the rusticated masonry that makes up the rest of the facade:

Okay, time to focus on the other massive window. Note this nested design to the bifora windows here:

So many detailed and individual carved stone patterns.

One of the two smaller bifora windows that are part of the larger one:

The anti-bird spikes on these bundled capitals add a further sense of medieval barbarity to the exterior:

Southernmost entrance:

To think that all these designs are inspired by different species of plants…I’m no botanist and I struggle to identify them:

More lichen growth here:

After this circular tower near the southeast end, the stone facade yields to cheaper brick, also indicating a shift in the church’s function in this area:

I do love this shorter tower, although it seems to have developed a bit of a lean over the years. It retains its original slate roof tiles and finial, while the formerly open belfry has been enclosed:

It has a band of arched windows:

The roof is beautiful and is in excellent condition. In particular, the gradually decreasing widths of the slate tiles creates a very pleasing visual effect.

This was also the perfect position to get an angled view of the main tower:

A similar shot, which is better-lit except I chopped off the top by accident:

The belfry has a stout arcade supported by stubby columns, along with a decorative colonnade of engaged Doric columns on the parapet:

Unfortunately, this winged chimera fellow seems to be a grotesque that does not spout water, not a gargoyle. He’s still pretty cool though.

Seriously, how many other churches in Columbus have architectural decoration of this caliber? Not many.

I also got a nice shot of the fleche lit by the sun:

Back to the east side, these windows use the typical contrasting, rusticated stone vaults of Richardsonian architecture:

The ones above are rectangular with stone sills and lintels. There is also a band of textured brickwork above:

On Bryden Alley is the church’s semicircular apse:

I really love this church building, and I’m glad it has been maintained so well. It is relatively rare for churches of this age to have original features that are also in good condition.

Sources:

Architecture: Columbus by Robert Samuelson

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71988465

https://www.fameztv.com/

https://www.ghmchs.org/first-methodist-episcopal-church

https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/dispatch/id/43294

https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/ohio/id/3326/

https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/ohio/id/13715/rec/1

https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/ohio/id/14730/rec/4

https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/ohio/id/14884/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Public_School_Library

https://www.teachingcolumbus.org/african-american-experience/early-african-american-churches-in-columbus