St. John's AME Church
Why it's listed
St. John's African Methodist Episcopal Church is a brick church at 2261 East 40th Street in Cleveland, completed in 1908. Architects Badgley & Nicklas designed it in a Gothic eclectic style, and John F. Aring was the builder. A corner entrance tower has paired belfry openings, and symmetrical gabled entrance porches have wood brackets and brick buttresses. A gabled parapet rises over a central pointed arched window with stone tracery and brick hood molding. Stone is used for sills, coping, buttress caps and the water table. Inside, a large central auditorium has a domed ceiling. The congregation is considered the first black congregation in Cleveland, founded in 1830 by freed slaves, and this is its third building. It grew into one of the largest and most influential congregations in the denomination and was parent to eight other black congregations. The church sits on a busy residential street with many cleared properties, next to the central high school, and remains in use for worship.
Significance in brief: St. John's is considered the first black congregation in Cleveland, founded in 1830 by freed slaves. It is one of the largest and most influential congregations in its denomination and was the parent of eight other black congregations. The building is also notable as the work of Badgley & Nicklas, architects of several advanced church designs.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 82001370, listed December 17, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2261 E. 40th St., Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | December 17, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001370 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architects Badgley & Nicklas; builder John F. Aring |
| Architectural style | Gothic eclectic |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a church; exterior and interior condition listed as excellent. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.49664, -81.65602 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 82001370.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7588573
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.