About/History

The Old Stone Chapel, one of downtown Canton’s most historic wedding venues, was built back in 1886 and currently resides on the National Register of Historic Places, a designation it received in 1985. The building was designed by famed architect Guy Tilden and formerly housed the congregation of Trinity Lutheran Church. That congregation merged with another in 2011 and the church was desanctified at that time. The building retains all of the glorious architecture and religious artifactery just as it did when the building was a functioning church. Visitors often comment on the distinctive vaulted and flowered ceilings, gorgeous stained glass windows and polished stone paths. The exterior is composed of hand-chiseled sandstone quarried from Massillon and is well-known for its bright red doors and motto inscribed above the windows.

The former congregants hoped the building would find a buyer determined to continue the legacy of the church in some form. Enter buyer and preservationist Steve Coon. Coon is the owner of a number of downtown buildings, including The Chase Tower, the Historic Onesto Lofts & Event Center, and the Bliss Lofts.

Coon was immediately “awestruck” by the illuminated stained glass windows, the Romanesque columns, and the Italian marble walkway leading to the altar. He learned a healthy respect for the building as he spent summers in his youth cleaning the sandstone for a local restoration business.

The building, rechristened The Old Stone Chapel in 2013, is now available for rental as a destination for lush wedding ceremonies and other events. Brides can plan their ceremony at The Chapel and hold their reception at the Historic Onesto right across the street.