Rex’s Erection is what’s left of a big plan by the recently deceased Rex Humbard. Rex was a well known televangelist who once resided and practice his craft in the Cuyahoga Falls area. He had a television show and a Cathedral that was called the Cathedral of Tomorrow. The Cathedral sits 5,400 people and was where the show was filmed. He is known for having one of the first weekly televangelist shows.
Over time Rex’s show grew very big, and he eventually decided to expand in to other areas including the tower.
The tower was build in the late 60s and was going to be a rotating restaurant. So why was the tower abandoned and what happened to Rex?
Well, after Rex began to build a rotating tower restaurant at his Cathedral of Tomorrow complex, it was also slated to hold a transmission tower for his TV station. He was given the opportunity to go on more radio stations throughout South America to spread Christianity. When this happened construction on the restaurant tower ceased and you can see what is left of it today.
Today, the tower looms over the Cuyahoga Falls area housing cell phone equipment and other communications equipment. There was a fence all around it and because I was short on time I didn’t try to access the inside.
The rest of Rex’s complex has been run by the Ernest Angley Ministry since the 1990’s.
Birds Eye photo from Live Search Maps.
tom murphy
The tower was built in the winter of 1971-72, I watched it go up from my English Class in room 227 at Bolich. The continuous-pour concrete work by Hydracrete turned out to be faulty and was blamed for a 200-ft long crack which formed in the tower as it cured. The structure was condemned for occupation by persons and was sold at a loss. Public pressure is being put onto the city to do away with the tower. Advancements in cell phone technology have made the tower obsolete for that purpose, so it probably won’t be around much longer.
john bernays
I am from Arkansas, and Rex Humbard was from Hot Springs, Arkansas, he had been part of the Singing Humbard Family, their Church was a Singing Ministry. I actually seen the Son when they came to Visit Mrs. Iris Smith-Wheeler about 10 or so years back. I worked for the Wheelers and Smiths as a Handyman & Carpenter’s helper. Hot Springs was a Great Christian City way back when.
Oh I am a 1949 Model Fellow. Hee Heh, Like a 1949 Ford with a Flat Head engine, slow, faithful, waiting for My Jesus.
Jesus warned preachers about the Filthy Lucre, it seems Satan Gets em all.
Preachers shall not prevent the Sheep, the Invisable spirit of Yahweh leads the Poor Church, and it is a Real Struggle on Youngsters to overcome the Love of Money.
Bob - Vietnam war vet.
Well, Rex Humbard, given the evidence, ignored one of the most important statements in the Bible,
“The love of money is the root of all Evil.” The IRS finally held Humbard accountable for using his
FOR-PROFIT businesses, namely the Cathedral Buffet and the women’s underwear factory in Indiana,
as part of the church. And, what about the women who stated that Rex came after them for sex?
You can say all the good things you want to about Rex Humbard, but the TRUTH is that the man loved
power and money more than teaching the Bible. But he’s just one example of greedy people using
religion to control people, get sex and get rich. Just look at Sam Mullet and his Amish cult in Bergholz,
Ohio. Fortunately, Sam Mullet is in a federal prison. When the IRS forced Humbard to sell the Cathedral
of Tomorrow, he moved to a mansion in Florida, had a private plane and lived high off the hog!
Maybe the Devil made him do it????? HE KNEW BETTER!
Bob - Vietnam war vet.
OOPS—I should have pinned the old age silly sex on Angley. Trying to keep up with these “preachers” and their sexcapades is hard, no pun intended. It seems Bakker and Crouch swung both ways, huh? The boy friends (or whatever) sued to get some of the gold.
Greg West
Construction was stopped for several reasons. He didn’t get the proper permits. His final downfall and disgrace that stopped construction for good was when he tapped into city water illegally and without paying for the water. His response when called out on the theft was to say that God would provide. At that point the city stonewalled him and the project was never finished. He left town a fallen and disgraced man. This information was common knowledge at the time as it was in the local paper almost daily.
Bob - Vietnam war vet.
I have been doing forensic research and investigative work for 26 years. I have talked to a few people who worked at the Cathedral Buffet and one person who worked in Rex’s computer center. It took the IRS at least 25 years to finally hold his feet to the fire about his illegal uses of his charitable status—501(c)(3.) Rex was your typical “preacher” who had dollar signs on the brain. There was never enough money. The Bible says, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” So true! These “televangelists” have been using religion to fill their pockets / wallets since Rex started it. Look at Jim Bakker and the Crouch crowd! Bakker did a massive Ponzi with the “Christian Disneyland” in South Carolina. He ripped-off at least $50 million by grossly over-booking the hotel. He should have done 20, not just 8. His wife was up to her ears in the Ponzi, but was never charged. She divorced Jim when he went to prison and married the guy who built the “Christian Disneyland.” Figures. He should have been charged, too. Back to Rex. The person I talked to, who worked in Rex’s very high tech. computer center, told me about what Rex was doing to elderly people in Canada. His shows went to Canada and there was a phone number always on the screen. So, when people would call, the worker in Cuyahoga Falls would get a lot of info from them: Name, age, address. Then. the Canadian person would get a blizzard of letters asking for money. The letters were really disgusting. Humbard claimed that the U.S. government was trying to shut him down / close his church and he desperately needed “donations.” Those people would also get repeated phone calls with the same B.S. and begging for money, “to keep our ministry and God’s Message on the air.” It got so bad that the Canadian government contacted Humbard and sent a letter saying that Humbard and his Cathedral of Tomorrow were banned from sending any mail to Canada and he was warned to stop the phone calls. Of course, the stuff revealed by the Beacon Journal about Rex’s sexual proclivities when he was 90 (!) were pretty disgusting. In his younger years, there were always rumors about his affairs with church members.
Even though the IRS forced Rex to sell the “church” and buffet, he still got to keep millions and his retirement in Florida was gold-plated–mansion, private plane, etc. How about the apartment building across the street closing? Anyhow, Rex’s Erection has been an on-going joke. But it turned-out to be a perfectly located communications / cell tower and it has made a lot of money for the owner. You have to wonder when some people will wake-up and stop giving money to these con artists using religion to get rich. P.T. Barnum was right. A sucker is born every minute, but now, with computers and the Web, it’s every nanosecond. How about the “new messiah”–T-Rump?
Robert
there are pictures of the inside here >> http://abandonedplaces.livejournal.com/2498550.html
Bob - Vietnam war vet.
BTW, WBNX is a For-Profit business. SO why is it plastered on Ansley’s “church?” The latest Ansley scandal, that has been published in the Akron Beacon Journal, is proof positive of how corrupt and immoral / unethical Ansley is. The IRS finally came down on Rex Humbard for all of his illegal activities. WHEN will the IRS come down on Ansley? Just like Humbard did, Ansley uses the 501(c)(3) status, Not-For-Profit, of his “church” to play God and make big piles of money. Meanwhile, according to the ABJ investigation, he’s been doing VERY STRANGE sexual behavior! Ansley is a huge embarrassment to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio and our country. Of course, as usual for powerful, rich crooks, he’ll never be charged with anything and die with a smile on his face! Sickening!
Rob
Hello from the future. Looks like Ernest Angley did die will a smile on that awful face. Just months from the age of 100, to boot. No justice in the universe, but at least there’s ultimately no reward for him either.
Pat Patty Lindamood
My late very close friend, Tom Gray, worked for Hydracrete and he pumped concrete to help build the tower. Much skill and expertise went into building it.
Bob - Vietnam war vet.
Maybe some of you could comment on the IRA ruling on Humbard and his Cathedral of Shame? (my take.) He claimed that the Buffet was part of the church, but it was open to the public—basically it was a church Ponderosa restaurant. Humbard’s operation got in trouble with the Canadian authorities because Canadians were being contacted repeatedly and given coercive calls and letters saying that the U.S. government was trying to shut Humbard down and the people (who made the mistake of calling the number on the TV screen), “must make a donation immediately to save the church!” I got that information from a former worker in Humbard’s call center. The revolving restaurant thing was a pathetic disaster from the beginning. Hopkins Airport officials told the FAA that it was going to be too high and a danger to planes landing and taking off. Humbard used his money / political influence to get past the complaints. As I remember, Humbard started out in a tent in Canton, Ohio. When the IRS finally came down on him and his “church”, he was a mega-millionaire and got to keep most of it. He “retired” to Florida and a mansion. I also read that he had a private plane and a large yacht. The Bible says that “the love of money is the root of all evil.” Humabrd and lots of other “televangelists” and “mega-church” types prove that TRUTH all the time.
Bob - Vietnam war vet.
Should be: Humbard and lots of other “televangelists” and “mega-church” types prove that TRUTH all the time.
Sarah
i grew up in tallmadge, with most of my family living in cuyahoga falls but i’m familiar with the site. anyways, the tower is basically completed. however, what i heard was, due to a design flaw…they built the whole thing before realizing that it didn’t actually meet requirements to have people in it and not tip over. it is one of the strangest sites i’ve seen anywhere and i’ve traveled quite a bit. like a weird soviet russian monument!
also, they don’t tear it down because it would be too expensive to tear down. cheaper to keep it as a cell phone tower. as for the person that gags at the site of it, they’ve already torn down the plaza across from it. i think i’d be a little sad to see it go. also, my mom calls it “sexy rexy’s erection.”
Dish washer
I used to work at the Cathedral Buffett in the early 80’s been inside a few times. Awesome sight it was looking up that large cement tube!
Robert F.
I cannot believe that awful eyesore has never been torn down!!! Every time I visit Cuyahoga Falls from out of stat I gag, the City must not care about there image, how ghastly!!!!!
Loren Garthoff
I almost lost my right eye when my mom had a car accident at the cathedral of tomorrow exiting the parking lot. I have vision of that accident after 51 years. Rex was 51 when the tower was first started.
jhsmith
Hmmmm Cathedral buffet
Ed Kent
Correction: The tower was never owned or used by Channel 55 TV. Humbard sold it to Mike Kreiger and he and his daughter lease it to cell phone companies. Channel 55 TV has their TV antenna/tower in Parma, Oh and it’s the tallest TV tower in Northeast Ohio.
Andrew
OK, thanks for the correction. It has been fixed above.