First German Methodist Episcopal Church
Also known as: Nast Trinity Methodist Church
Why it's listed
Located at 1310 Race Street in Cincinnati, this brick and stone church was designed by architect Samuel Hannaford in the Romanesque Revival style and dedicated on July 3, 1881. The symmetrical building has a large central gable with coursed natural stone, a pseudo-Palladian window set in an ornate Romanesque arch, and matching side porches with low parapet walls and small circular windows. A Norman-style tympanum marks the entrance, and German inscriptions appear over the doors, along with the dates 1842, 1835 and 1880. The congregation traces to 1835, when preacher and missionary William Nast, born in Germany, organized the first German Methodist church in the world in Cincinnati. The group first met in Wesley Chapel, built its first church on this site in 1842, and commissioned Hannaford in 1880 to build the present structure. It merged with Trinity Methodist Church in 1958. The church also contributes to the nineteenth-century religious buildings around Washington Park.
Significance in brief: The church is named for William Nast, a German-born preacher who organized the first German Methodist congregation in the world in Cincinnati in 1835. The present building was designed by architect Samuel Hannaford and is included in a thematic group of his works. It also contributes to the cluster of nineteenth-century church buildings around Washington Park.
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 80003054, listed March 3, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1310 Race St., Cincinnati |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | March 3, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003054 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Samuel Hannaford (architect); builder unknown |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good exterior condition; in religious use as Nast Trinity Methodist Church. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.10977, -84.51630 (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 80003054.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6967693
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.