February 2026.
St. Gabriel Ethiopian Orthodox is a unique hybrid of Mission Revival and Arts & Crafts architecture. One of the last holdouts of East Broad Street’s residential, fashionable character in the early 20th century, its congregation has changed to reflect the area’s modern demographics.
St. Gabriel Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is located at 1051 (Google Maps says 1049) East Broad Street in the Olde Towne East neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. It is bordered by Broad Street to the north (Pilgrim Missionary Baptist is further north), houses to the south, 21st Street to the east, and the Hanna and McElroy Houses to the west.
History
This church was established in 1870 by the Disciples of Christ denomination in Columbus, and they built a church downtown at Gay Street and 3rd Street. It was nicknamed “Old Central” and remained in use for 35 years. The congregation decided to move eastward in the early 20th century to East Broad Street, a very fashionable residential area at the time.
The church’s exterior in 1908. (Columbus Metropolitan Library)
St. Gabriel’s is an example of the Mission Revival style, although it includes Arts & Crafts qualities such as overhanging eaves. It was designed by local architect Wilbur T. Mills as the Broad Street Church of Christ. The church’s cornerstone was laid in July 1906, and it was completed and dedicated on April 7, 1907. A Modern addition was built onto the south end of the church circa 1950-1960, ostensibly as a rectory or school, but no sources mention a date on this.
St. Gabriel’s was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 as part of the East Broad Street Multiple Resource Area. It is also listed on the Columbus Register of Historic Properties with the 21st & E Broad Historic Group, designated in 1988.
The Broad Street Christian congregation vacated the building on December 31, 2009, and their final service was held on December 27. They auctioned off most of the church’s fixtures and sold it to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, who named it St. Gabriel Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church or Debre Selam Kidus Gebriel.
Photos
Approaching the church from the west:
The sun lit up the rusticated stone facade and red clay tile roof in a most pleasing way.
I had originally thought this was a modified Richardsonian Romanesque building, but my first indication that this wasn’t the case looking back now is the curvy Renaissance-ish parapet on the western entrance. Tile roofs are also a good indicator of Mission Revival buildings, though they aren’t exclusive to the style.
The tower in particular has open biforas in the belfry, which are another common Romanesque feature:
Note the widely overhanging eaves on the church nave and tower, which are an Arts & Crafts feature.
North facade of the nave, which is symmetrical with the rose window, portals, and narthex:
The three portals have smooth voussoirs and are supported by two stubby Tuscan columns:
Note the other Mission Revival parapet above the central arch.
Rose window and roof gable:
The tower has rounded buttresses at the corners:
A view of the entire church from the northeast:
Unlike Gothic towers, this one has a sense of solidity to it versus soaring weightlessness.
The east end of the church is pretty simple and has a cross gable to evoke a transept, although it doesn’t actually protrude from the wall plane:
This church is a fair example of the picturesque architecture popular at the time and a later version of eclecticism outside of Victorian architecture.
Sources:
https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/64000619_text
https://ccinoh.org/admin/assets/dec09web.pdf
https://www.facebook.com/p/StGabriel-Ethiopian-Orthodox-Tewahedo-Church-100064234647291/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad_Street_Christian_Church
https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/p16802coll32/id/3132/rec/1
https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/columbusmaps/id/4650/rec/8
https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/ohio/id/13735/
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