{"id":42,"featured":0,"modified":"2026-03-04 21:31:57","latitude":41.50588602614872257845490821637213230133056640625,"longitude":-81.6126106055683777640297194011509418487548828125,"title":"University Circle United Methodist Church","subtitle":"&quot;The Holy Oil Can&quot;","fullsize":"https://www.clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/719bfec59a32b609a714e237d06f8470.jpg","address":"1919 E 107th St, Cleveland, OH","zoom":17,"creator":["CSU Center for Public History and Digital Humanities"],"description":"University Circle United Methodist Church traces its history back to 1831, when the earliest Methodist gatherings in Cleveland were held at Doan&#039;s Corners. The church was christened Epworth-Euclid Methodist Church in 1919 with the merger between two historic congregations — Euclid Avenue Methodist Episcopal and Epworth Memorial Church. The latter congregation was the birthplace of the Epworth League, an international Christian youth movement. In 2010, the members of Epworth-Euclid United Methodist Church and First United Methodist Church of Cleveland voted to combine congregations to form University Circle United Methodist Church.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nThe present building was designed by noted architect Bertram Goodhue shortly before his death in 1924. The Cleveland-based Walker &amp; Weeks firm saw the project to completion four years later. Goodhue&#039;s towering steeple, modeled after Mont Saint Michel in France, was dubbed the &quot;Holy Oil Can&quot; by students on the Western Reserve campus — a nickname still used today. <br />\r\n<br />\r\n","sponsor":null,"accessinfo":"","lede":null,"website":"<a href=\"http://www.churchinthecircle.com\">www.churchinthecircle.com</a>","related_resources":["\"<a href=\"https://case.edu/ech/articles/e/epworth-euclid-united-methodist-church\">Epworth-Euclid United Methodist Church.</a>\" <em>Encyclopedia of Cleveland History.</em> "],"factoids":[],"files":{"https://www.clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/719bfec59a32b609a714e237d06f8470.jpg":{"id":11874,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"The &quot;Holy Oil Can&quot;","description":"Epworth-Euclid United Methodist was humorously dubbed &quot;the holy oil can.&quot; This image shows the view that inspired the nickname. | Cleveland Memory Project, Cleveland State University Library Special Collections | ca. 1960 | Kathleen Shamp | Colourpicture Publishers, Inc.","thumbnail":"https://www.clevelandhistorical.org/files/square_thumbnails/719bfec59a32b609a714e237d06f8470.jpg"},"https://www.clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/749bf72483221b9643778ad287845414.jpg":{"id":11879,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Central Methodist Church","description":"One of the original congregations that became Epworth-Euclid United Methodist was Central Methodist Episcopal Church, located at Prospect Avenue and East 55th Street. | Cleveland State University Library Special Collections | ca. 1900","thumbnail":"https://www.clevelandhistorical.org/files/square_thumbnails/749bf72483221b9643778ad287845414.jpg"},"https://www.clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/a644f6b5497ea9de387e60a690a60220.jpg":{"id":11877,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Church Viewed from Fine Arts Garden","description":"In this midcentury view, the church rises beyond the Fine Arts Garden and Wade Lagoon. | Cleveland State University Library Special Collections | ca. 1950","thumbnail":"https://www.clevelandhistorical.org/files/square_thumbnails/a644f6b5497ea9de387e60a690a60220.jpg"},"https://www.clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/76e7cfcf6c7b849857e332b89ea030d9.jpg":{"id":11875,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Steeple Reconstruction","description":"Cleveland State University Library Special Collections | 1958","thumbnail":"https://www.clevelandhistorical.org/files/square_thumbnails/76e7cfcf6c7b849857e332b89ea030d9.jpg"},"https://www.clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/656cb5c373148ecc4eae3c1c2cabffb7.jpg":{"id":11878,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"View from Wade Lagoon","description":"Cleveland State University Library Special Collections | ca. 1960","thumbnail":"https://www.clevelandhistorical.org/files/square_thumbnails/656cb5c373148ecc4eae3c1c2cabffb7.jpg"},"https://www.clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/dcf93f425f1040514edebf0ce91e4390.jpg":{"id":11876,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Rose Window Above Altar in Sanctuary","description":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:University_Circle_United_Methodist_Church_sanctuary.jpg\">Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0</a> | September 17, 2016 | Kevin Payravi","thumbnail":"https://www.clevelandhistorical.org/files/square_thumbnails/dcf93f425f1040514edebf0ce91e4390.jpg"},"https://www.clevelandhistorical.org/files/original/999051-epworth-design-by-bertram-goodhue_mixdown_d69dcf8737.mp3":{"id":430,"mime-type":"audio/mpeg","title":"An Architect&#039;s Vision","description":"John Wheeler of Epworth-Euclid United Methodist describes how Cleveland architect Bertram Goodhue formulated the design of the building | Cleveland Regional Oral History Collection"},"https://www.clevelandhistorical.org/files/original/999051-epworth-the-epworth-league_mixdown_c99a44c6fc.mp3":{"id":431,"mime-type":"audio/mpeg","title":"The Epworth League","description":"John Wheeler of Epworth-Euclid United Methodist discusses the Epworth League, a pioneering christian youth group organization  | Cleveland Regional Oral History Collection "},"https://www.clevelandhistorical.org/files/original/999051-epworth-the-holy-oil-can_mixdown_c93dcdf431.mp3":{"id":432,"mime-type":"audio/mpeg","title":"The Holy Oil Can","description":"John Wheeler of Epworth-Euclid United Methodist discusses the building&#039;s humorous nickname  | Cleveland Regional Oral History Collection"}}}