St. Louis' Catholic Church (North Star, Ohio)

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St. Louis Catholic Church and Rectory
St. Louis Catholic Church, North Star.jpg
Front and eastern side of the church
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Location East of the intersection of North Star Road and U.S. Route 127
Nearest city North Star, Ohio
Coordinates 40°19′29″N84°34′13″W / 40.32472°N 84.57028°W / 40.32472; -84.57028 Coordinates: 40°19′29″N84°34′13″W / 40.32472°N 84.57028°W / 40.32472; -84.57028
Area Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built 1914
MPS Cross-Tipped Churches of Ohio TR
NRHP reference # 79002835 [1]
Added to NRHP July 26, 1979

St. Louis' Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in North Star, Ohio, United States. Constructed in the early twentieth century, it is one of the newest churches in a heavily Catholic region of far western Ohio, but it has been recognized as a historic site because of its unique architecture.

Catholic Church Christian church led by the Bishop of Rome

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with approximately 1.3 billion baptised Catholics worldwide as of 2016. As the world's "oldest continuously functioning international institution", it has played a prominent role in the history and development of Western civilisation. The church is headed by the Bishop of Rome, known as the Pope. Its central administration, the Holy See, is in the Vatican City, an enclave within the city of Rome in Italy.

North Star, Ohio Village in Ohio, United States

North Star is a village in Darke County, Ohio, United States. The population was 236 at the 2010 census.

Ohio State of the United States of America

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the Great Lakes region of the United States. Of the fifty states, it is the 34th largest by area, the seventh most populous, and the tenth most densely populated. The state's capital and largest city is Columbus.

Contents

Parish history

Interior Saint Louis Catholic Church (North Star, Ohio) - chancel.jpg
Interior

The parish that became St. Louis' Church was established in the vicinity of North Star in 1892; [2] at this time, it was dedicated to St. John, and its first church was located in the countryside nearly 2 miles (3.2 km) east of North Star. Shortly after this building was completed in 1893, the parish was attached for administrative purposes to St. Denis parish in Versailles, [3] approximately 7 miles (11 km) to the southeast. [4] In 1906, the attachment was changed to St. Nicholas parish in Osgood, [3] only 3 miles (4.8 km) away to the northeast. [4] By the early 1910s, the parish had decided to move to North Star, [3] and its new building was completed in the village in 1914. [1] Still remaining at the church's original site is the parish cemetery, [5] which lies at the intersection of Mangen and North Star-Fort Loramie Roads. [4]

John the Apostle was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament, which refers to him as Ἰωάννης. Generally listed as the youngest apostle, he was the son of Zebedee and Salome or Joanna. His brother was James, who was another of the Twelve Apostles. The Church Fathers identify him as John the Evangelist, John of Patmos, John the Elder and the Beloved Disciple, and testify that he outlived the remaining apostles and that he was the only one to die of natural causes. The traditions of most Christian denominations have held that John the Apostle is the author of several books of the New Testament.

Versailles, Ohio Village in Ohio, United States

Versailles is a village in Darke County, Ohio, United States. It is the only village in Wayne Township. The population was 2,687 at the 2010 census. The proper local pronunciation of the name is ver-sales, with the accent on the second syllable, unlike the French city of the same name.

St. Nicholas Catholic Church (Osgood, Ohio)

St. Nicholas' Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Osgood, Ohio, United States. Built in the first years of the 20th century, it houses one of the newest parishes in a heavily Catholic region of far western Ohio, but it has been recognized as a historic site for its architecture.

Architecture

The church is a rectangular single-story structure with multiple gables and an off-center square bell tower. Walls of white-painted stucco rest on a concrete foundation and are topped by an asphalt roof. The interior is lit by windows of many shapes and sizes: a rose window is located above the entrance, wide stained glass windows topped with rounded arches line the walls, and narrow rectangular windows appear in the tower. While the church reflects a range of architectural styles, many of its elements, such as the cornices on the bell tower, bear evidence of the French Renaissance style. No other Catholic church in the region resembles St. Louis' Church; [6] the ecclesiastical architecture of the region typically employs the Gothic Revival style. [7] :3

Storey level part of a building that could be used by people

A storey or story is any level part of a building with a floor that could be used by people. The plurals are "storeys" and "stories", respectively.

Gable Generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches

A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesthetic concerns. A gable wall or gable end more commonly refers to the entire wall, including the gable and the wall below it.

Bell tower a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells

A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell towers, often part of a municipal building, an educational establishment, or a tower built specifically to house a carillon. Church bell towers often incorporate clocks, and secular towers usually do, as a public service.

Rectory

The rectory at night Rectory at St. Louis' Catholic Church in North Star.jpg
The rectory at night

Adjacent to the church on the west is a brick rectory; built in 1914, it replaced a small wooden rectory that has since been moved to a different part of the village. Constructed in a vernacular style, it is a square two-story structure with an ashlar foundation and an enclosed front porch. A hip roof of asbestos shingle, pierced by multiple dormers, covers the building. Among its most striking features is a stone cross, located between the second-story windows on the front of the house. [8]

Vernacular architecture category of architecture based on local needs, construction materials and reflecting local traditions

Vernacular architecture is an architectural style that is designed based on local needs, availability of construction materials and reflecting local traditions. Traditionally, vernacular architecture did not use formally-schooled architects, but relied on the design skills and tradition of local builders, who were rarely given any attribution for the work. However, since the late 19th century many professional architects have worked in this style and interest in vernacular architecture now forms part of a broader interest in sustainable design.

Ashlar Finely dressed stone and associated masonry

Ashlar is finely dressed stone, either an individual stone that has been worked until squared or the structure built of it. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, generally cuboid, mentioned by Vitruvius as opus isodomum, or less frequently trapezoidal. Precisely cut "on all faces adjacent to those of other stones", ashlar is capable of very thin joints between blocks, and the visible face of the stone may be quarry-faced or feature a variety of treatments: tooled, smoothly polished or rendered with another material for decorative effect.

Foundation (engineering) lowest and supporting layer of a structure

In engineering, a foundation is the element of a structure which connects it to the ground, and transfers loads from the structure to the ground. Foundations are generally considered either shallow or deep. Foundation engineering is the application of soil mechanics and rock mechanics in the design of foundation elements of structures.

Recent history

In 1977, the church and rectory were recorded by an architectural survey, the Ohio Historic Inventory; it assessed both buildings as being in good condition without any threats to their integrity. [6] [8] Two years later, the buildings were listed together on the National Register of Historic Places because of their architectural significance. [1] Twenty-five other churches, including two others in northeastern Darke County, were listed on the National Register at the same time as part of a multiple property submission of properties in western Ohio related to the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. [1] St. Louis' architecture is highly distinctive from and unique among the other churches of the area. [6] In contrast to the French architecture of St. Louis' Church, most of these churches feature tall Gothic Revival towers visible from a significant distance. [7] :3 The massive towers of the Gothic Revival churches are the namesakes for this region of western Ohio, which has been nicknamed the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches." [7] :6

National Register of Historic Places federal list of historic sites in the United States

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred preserving the property.

Gothic Revival architecture architectural movement

Gothic Revival is an architectural movement popular in the Western World that began in the late 1740s in England. Its popularity grew rapidly in the early 19th century, when increasingly serious and learned admirers of neo-Gothic styles sought to revive medieval Gothic architecture, in contrast to the neoclassical styles prevalent at the time. Gothic Revival draws features from the original Gothic style, including decorative patterns, finials, lancet windows, hood moulds and label stops.

The Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches is a rural region in the western part of the U.S. state of Ohio, centered near Maria Stein in Mercer County. Its name is derived from the dense concentration of large Catholic churches that dominate the area's architecture. These and other buildings were constructed by the Society of the Most Precious Blood under the oversight of the missionary priest Francis de Sales Brunner. Under his leadership, the Society founded many churches and schools in the region, as well as several seminaries.

Today, St. Louis' Church is an active parish of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It is clustered with St. Remy parish in Russia and St. Nicholas parish in Osgood, and the entire cluster is part of the Sidney Deanery. [9]

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati archdiocese

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati covers the southwest region of the U.S. state of Ohio, including the greater Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan areas. The Archbishop of Cincinnati is Most Rev. Dennis Marion Schnurr.

St. Remys Catholic Church

St. Remy's Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Russia, Ohio, United States. Built in 1890, it continues to house an active parish, and it has been recognized as a historic site because of its architecture.

Russia, Ohio Village in Ohio, United States

Russia is a village in Loramie Township, Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 640 at the 2010 census. The correct local pronunciation is "roo-shee", with the emphasis on the first syllable. The town is home to one school, Russia Local School, which enrolls grades K-12. The school's athletic programs' mascot is the Raider.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service.
  2. ↑ Fortin, Roger. Faith and Action: A History of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati 1821-1996 Archived 2011-07-27 at the Wayback Machine .. Columbus: Ohio State UP, 2002, 401.
  3. 1 2 3 Wilson, Frazer. History of Darke County Ohio: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time. Vol. 1. Milford: Hobart, 1914, 585.
  4. 1 2 3 DeLorme. Ohio Atlas & Gazetteer. 7th ed. Yarmouth: DeLorme, 2004, 54. ISBN   0-89933-281-1.
  5. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Saint Louis Cemetery
  6. 1 2 3 Brown, Mary Ann. Ohio Historic Inventory Nomination: St. Louis Catholic Church. Ohio Historical Society, April 1977.
  7. 1 2 3 Brown, Mary Ann and Mary Niekamp. National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Cross-Tipped Churches Thematic Resources . National Park Service, July 1978. Accessed 2009-11-21.
  8. 1 2 Brown, Mary Ann. Ohio Historic Inventory Nomination: Saint Louis Catholic Rectory. Ohio Historical Society, September 1977.
  9. ↑ The Futures Project, Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Accessed 2010-03-12.
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