Saving the Sanctuary
September 18, 1992, By Julie R. Balley - Dispatch Staff Reporter
After serving the community for nearly a century, the Olde Gahanna Sanctuary is in need of repair. Used as a meeting place by community groups, the structure at 82 N. High St. is one of the city's oldest and most recognizable buildings.
Used as a meeting place by community groups, the structure at 82 N. High St. is one of the city's oldest and most recognizable buildings. It will be 100 in1995.
Tiles and rusted trim on the original slate roof need repair or replacement, the building's stained-glass windows are cracked and exterior brickwork is deteriorating.
"Our goal is to start at the top and work down," said Kirkpatrick, president of the Olde Gahanna Sanctuary Board of Trustees. "I would like to see the roof make it till its 125th anniversary."
The Sanctuary was built as Peace Lutheran Church. In 1981, a group of 12 Gahanna residents formed a non-profit organization, bought the sanctuary for $100,000 and renovated it into a community center, Kirkpatrick said.
The church moved to a larger building at 455 Clark State Rd.
Kirkpatrick said the purchase was aided by a $50,000 grant from the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission.
"Nobody wanted the building because it was in pretty poor condition, but it was a shame to see it get torn down," Kirkpatrick said. "Gahanna is an old Lutheran community... The sanctuary is the roots of this community, which represents old Gahanna."
About three years ago, Kirkpatrick said, the building was put on the National Register of Historic Places.
Rental income from meetings, parties and wedding receptions goes toward operating expenses, including a $200 monthly salary for the program coordinator, with little left over for repairs, he said.
That's where the Friends of the Sanctuary steps in. The group sponsors biannual sales of used clothing for children that help raise money for repairs.
A Rerun Sale was held this spring, and the next one is Sept. 26.
"People start lining up as early as 8 a.m. even though the sale doesn't begin till 9 a.m.," said Bonnie Wilber, a building trustees.
Each sale brings in about $2,000. However, Kirkpatrick said the roof repairs are estimated at $30,000, including $4,000 spent on repairs in 1990.
Repairing the stained-glass windows will cost about $1,000 per window, he said. The building has about 30 stained-glass windows.
"It's always challenging to do repairs on the building because of the cost, but we prioritize our repairs and do them as we can," Kirkpatrick said.
Gahanna resident Rick Eiler as repaired several of the windows free, Kirkpatrick said.
"This building was bought for the community, and the community helps sustain it."
