SYMPHONY FUND-RAISER Tour offers visit to six churches

By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Sts. Cyril & amp; Methodius Church is tucked away at the corner of East Wood and Watt streets, two crumbling roads on the ridge just north of downtown. From the outside, the church's 103-year-old red-brick building is mostly unremarkable.
Inside, however, the Slovak Catholic church is a hidden wealth of artistic, architectural and musical treasures. Images of saints and angels in stained-glass windows cast reds, yellows and blues on the church's wooden pews.
Intricately detailed paintings and statues depicting religious scenes line the walls, and an organ with painted pipes rests in the balcony.
"You could be here quietly and just be in another world," said the Rev. Melvin Rusnak, church pastor.
Above it all, in the church's high, arching ceiling, is a circular stained-glass portico with a sky-blue and cloud-white center.
"They don't build them like this anymore," said Jim Ruffing, a Youngstown resident who came to the church Saturday with his wife as part of the Youngstown Symphony Guild's first "Medley of Churches" tour. "This is one of the best-kept secrets in the area."
Susan Huber, president of the Youngstown Symphony Guild, said Sts. Cyril & amp; Methodius is one of several notable churches in the city.
"Youngstown is known for their gorgeous, old historic churches," Huber said. "This is a wonderful, historic area, downtown Youngstown."
Details
About 50 residents took part in the tour, which served as a fund-raiser for the Youngstown Symphony and covered six churches between the South Side and the area around Wick Avenue near Youngstown State University. Residents paid $15 each to take the tour.
The symphony guild is hoping to make the tour an annual event.
Several other cities that are working toward revitalization, including Columbus and Buffalo, N.Y., have been the sites of similar tours of historic landmarks and architecture.
Some local residents who attended Saturday's tour of area churches noted that they believe future historic tours could benefit efforts to revitalize Youngstown.
Mary Lou Weibel of Boardman said historic tours could re-acquaint local residents with the city and help them feel comfortable visiting downtown.
"Anything you become more familiar with, you feel more comfortable with," Weibel said.
Father Rusnak noted that if more people visit downtown through the tours, local residents and city officials might be encouraged to maintain their buildings and land.
"Most people clean up their property when they have visitors," Mr. Rusnak said. "If they don't get visitors, they let their property go."
Both Terese Bolla, the symphony guild's chairwoman for the event, and Boardman resident Mary Burkey added that historic tours could help show local residents that there are things to do in the city.
Why people participated
Burkey said she decided to take part in Saturday's tour to learn more about the churches' historic architecture. Others said they went on the tour to check out the interiors of churches they had only seen from the outside.
"My mother grew up here, but she's never been inside these churches," said Canfield resident Kris Chismar, who took the tour with her mother, Karin Baxter of Columbiana. "This is a great opportunity."
At each church, a pastor or congregation member talked with the residents about that church's history, art, architecture and music. A Youngstown State University professor led the tour at First Christian Church on Wick Avenue.
"They will hear stories about different faiths and be introduced to a variety of different musical instruments," said the Rev. Nick Mager, pastor at First Presbyterian Church on Wick Avenue.
First Presbyterian member Pat Soller told residents that the church's congregation was founded in 1799 by the Rev. William Wick, who walked to the city from Coitsville to teach and give sermons. It is believed to be the oldest congregation in the area known as the Western Reserve.
Soller said many well-known local residents have been members of the church over the years, including Volney Rogers and members of the McGuffey family.
"There are still Wicks that are members of this congregation," she said.
As part of the tour, First Presbyterian organist Dr. Larry Harris played some selections on the church's three-story organ, parts of which are 100 years old.
hill@vindy.com