First Congregational Church

Built in 1895 at 431 Columbus Avenue in Sandusky, this two-story limestone church was designed in the Richardson Romanesque style. It has rock-faced ashlar walls, a domed roof, an irregular plan, a square tower at the end of the front, and an arched, recessed entrance porch reached by wide steps. The basement is mostly above ground. The building is best known for its glass by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Tiffany panels fill the domed ceiling, and the windows are also Tiffany work. Clear glass has been fitted over the exterior to protect them, and the dome is lit so the glass shows to advantage. The congregation traces its roots to a group from the Connecticut Missionary Society that organized in 1819 to serve the original Firelands settlers from Connecticut. Members first met in private homes, then in a church on the courthouse square, before moving into this building. It is one of three churches at the intersection, surrounded by parking lots where dwellings once stood.