A prominent landmark that has been a community gathering space in Evanston for more than 100 years is sitting mostly empty — but the neighborhood’s community council wants to change that.
The Evanston Community Council is working to acquire the historic St. Mark Catholic Church at 3500 Montgomery Road to preserve and reinvent the space as a cultural arts center for the community.
But the project will be daunting without more help, the group says. The council is hosting an event on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Evanston Recreation Center, inviting the community to learn about their plans for the space as well as hear feedback.
“We need over 100 residents and friends of Evanston in this initial component of the Campaign to Save St Mark. We need your time, talent and treasure to preserve and reactivate this historic treasure. Please join us. We need you to make this happen,” the Facebook event info reads.
The church was dedicated in 1906 by a parish staffed by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood the previous year. Originally home to German-American congregants, its makeup shifted in the 1960s and 1970s, becoming one of Cincinnati’s major churches for African-American Catholics.
By 2010, however, Catholic congregations were shrinking. St. Mark’s merged with three other parishes and moved to Bond Hill that year, leaving the church more or less empty except for a food pantry and soup kitchen. A charter school has operated out of the church’s school building as well. The Church of the Resurrection — the name of the combined parishes including St. Mark — is looking to sell the property.
The community council has long sought to find a new use for the landmark building. In its Evanston Work Plan, which was approved by Cincinnati City Council last month, the community council indicated it would pursue local historic designation for the church, highlighting its importance to Evanston.
“The former church campus represents a significant opportunity for the community,” the plan reads. “The buildings are currently mostly vacant, with the exception of a charter school located in the original school building. The preservation and redevelopment of the former church buildings are a top priority for the community.”
5:30-7 p.m., Nov. 13. Evanston Recreation Center, 3204 Woodburn Ave., Evanston.
This article appears in Oct 30 – Nov 12, 2019.