CLEVELAND — Since 1903, the old First United Methodist Church has stood watch over the corner of E. 30th and Euclid Avenue in Cleveland — the constant in the avenue's transformation from the Millionaire Row days at the start of the last century to today.
The church’s congregation merged with a University Circle church in 2010 and had been empty since 2014. The property was listed for sale at one point for $1.7 million; it sold at auction for $445,000 in 2018 to restaurateur Tony George who told News 5 at the time of his vision for a historic restoration and conversion of the space into a one-of-a-kind banquet facility.
"I think we implemented the vision,” George said, looking over what is now known as Majestic Hall. “Everything I was thinking when I walked in this place to bid on it five years ago, we implemented."
It wasn't easy — every aspect, from the floors and doors to windows and ceilings has been painstakingly restored. Repairing the plaster and the paintings over it required bringing in a craftsman from Russia.
"Literally, him and his father worked on the Vatican, and that's the type of craftsman you needed here,” George said. “He was here for 19 months repairing the water damage that was done from the roofs leaking."
The balcony of the church is now set up to host the cocktail hour, and the floor of the church is leveled for dining and dancing.
"The place can seat 600 total between the balcony and the lower level for a wedding, and we can have a reception styled for up to 1,000,” he said. “We have a beautiful meeting room downstairs which can be used for other types of events, but the place is starting to be booked up, so if you're planning a wedding or a big event, this is the place to come.”
Guests can gaze up at the 119-foot tower or get lost in the restored stained glass windows that fill every wall. The head table features as its backdrop the old church's one-of-a-kind pipe organ. The name of the new facility is Majestic Hall. It lives up to the title. George says it cost a good $3 million just to simply repair and restore the building.
As for the total cost?
"Well, let's put it this way — it went way over budget, but it was a labor of love,” he said. "I think more people need to look at these historic buildings, whether they're churches or other historic buildings in downtown Cleveland and bring them back to life."
The hall is now being booked through its exclusive caterer, Taste of Excellence, and through its website majestichallcle.com.
“Parking will be valet; we have parking lots within a half block of us that during the events we can lease them,” said George, who added security for all events will be provided by off-duty uniformed police officers.
Included in the purchase of the property is a school building in the back that was added on to the church in the 1960s.
“The school is rented out to a company called Signature Health,” George said.
George sees the location between Playhouse Square and University Circle as a pivotal spot in the Euclid Corridor’s Midtown revitalization.
“Look, I'm optimistic about the city, otherwise, we wouldn't have done this project. I was born and raised here, I love this city. I see this city coming back in a big way.”
As for any future projects?
“This took a lot of time and energy out of my life, and I'm just gonna take a break right now," George said.
