Immaculate Conception Catholic Church (Botkins, Ohio)
Encyclopedia
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Botkins
, Ohio
, United States
. Erected in 1865, the parish owns a complex of buildings constructed in a wide range of years, including two that have been designated as historic site
s.
immigrant families. A few Catholic families had settled in the vicinity of the village many years before, but their poverty had prevented them from supporting a pastor; accordingly, Mass
was celebrated only occasionally by travelling priests. For many years, they worshipped in private homes or in a former schoolhouse, although a log church was built by the early 1860s. Soon after the creation of the parish, the members began to take measures to replace their church, and a new brick building was completed in 1867. Erected at a cost of approximately $8,000, this structure measured 45 feet (13.7 m) by 85 feet (25.9 m), and it was crowned by a respectable steeple. As the years passed, the parish grew; by 1883, its membership was eighty-two families. Increased membership permitted improvements to the church: it was remodelled and embellished by painter F.H. Hefele in 1898, and ornate stained glass
windows were installed in 1899. From the parish's earliest years, it possessed a cemetery
: a small plot 1 miles (1.6 km) north of Botkins was used for a time, and it was soon replaced by a more suitable location on the village's northern edge.
directive in the early twentieth century. Most of these houses are simple brick structures influenced by the style of the Sears Roebuck catalog of the day. The rectory at Botkins, built before this directive, is significantly different: its architecture is an ornate Italianate
. Its brick walls are built on a foundation of limestone, and the building is covered with a roof of asphalt. This two-story
house was the second rectory owned by the parish; its members bought and converted a house in 1875 before erecting the present structure in 1887 at a cost of $3,000.
Many parishes in the region also operated parish schools
from their earliest years. Some rural parishes, such as St. Rose's
in St. Rose and St. Wendelin's in Wendelin, built one-room school
s for their children in the middle or late nineteenth century, while parishes such as St. Joseph's
in Wapakoneta
and St. John's in Fryburg erected larger two-story structures around the beginning of the twentieth century. Immaculate Conception's school was founded in 1881, when the parish purchased a church building formerly used by the Botkins Methodist
Church. In 1883, the school's enrollment was ninety-three children: forty-nine boys and forty-four girls. A new parish school building was erected in 1921, adjacent to the church. This building was built of brick and supported by a concrete foundation; it was a two-story building with a basement; among its most significant architectural features were the pillars at its entrance and the sharp contrasts at corners between walls. In this way, it was similar to parish schools at Celina
and Coldwater, which were architecturally very similar to Botkins and to each other, and which were erected at a similar point in time.
in 1979: the school qualified because of its architecture, and the rectory both because of its architecture and because of its contribution to statewide history. Thirty-four other buildings in western Ohio were listed on the Register at the same time as part of the "Cross-Tipped Churches of Ohio Thematic Resources," a group of Catholic churches and church-related properties in rural western Ohio. These massive churches are the namesake of the region, which has been nicknamed the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches
."
Today, Immaculate Conception is an active parish of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
. It is clustered with Sacred Heart Parish in McCartyville
and St. Lawrence Parish in Rhine, and the entire cluster is a part of the Sidney Deanery
. Although the rectory retains its location adjacent to the church, the school has been destroyed, and a parking lot
now sits in its place. This destruction was predicted in 1979 when the school was nominated for inclusion on the Register; the nominators noted that officials' demands for progress endangered many parish schools. Ultimately, the destruction was a result of the expansion of the local elementary school in 1985: until this point, the Botkins Local School District had been renting the unused parish school building, but the increased space produced by the expansion rendered the old school superfluous. Despite its destruction, the school remains on the National Register.
Botkins, Ohio
Botkins is a village in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,205 at the 2000 census. The village's welcome sign reads "Where the waters divide and the people unite."-Geography:Botkins is located at ....
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Erected in 1865, the parish owns a complex of buildings constructed in a wide range of years, including two that have been designated as historic site
Historic site
A historic site is an official location where pieces of political, military or social history have been preserved. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have recognized with the official national historic site status...
s.
Early parish history
Immaculate Conception parish was organized in 1865 among a population of twenty-eight poor GermanGermans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
immigrant families. A few Catholic families had settled in the vicinity of the village many years before, but their poverty had prevented them from supporting a pastor; accordingly, Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
was celebrated only occasionally by travelling priests. For many years, they worshipped in private homes or in a former schoolhouse, although a log church was built by the early 1860s. Soon after the creation of the parish, the members began to take measures to replace their church, and a new brick building was completed in 1867. Erected at a cost of approximately $8,000, this structure measured 45 feet (13.7 m) by 85 feet (25.9 m), and it was crowned by a respectable steeple. As the years passed, the parish grew; by 1883, its membership was eighty-two families. Increased membership permitted improvements to the church: it was remodelled and embellished by painter F.H. Hefele in 1898, and ornate stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows were installed in 1899. From the parish's earliest years, it possessed a cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
: a small plot 1 miles (1.6 km) north of Botkins was used for a time, and it was soon replaced by a more suitable location on the village's northern edge.
Rectory
Many parishes in the region constructed rectories for their pastors in accordance with an archiepiscopalRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
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...
directive in the early twentieth century. Most of these houses are simple brick structures influenced by the style of the Sears Roebuck catalog of the day. The rectory at Botkins, built before this directive, is significantly different: its architecture is an ornate Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
. Its brick walls are built on a foundation of limestone, and the building is covered with a roof of asphalt. This two-story
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
house was the second rectory owned by the parish; its members bought and converted a house in 1875 before erecting the present structure in 1887 at a cost of $3,000.
School
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
from their earliest years. Some rural parishes, such as St. Rose's
St. Rose's Catholic Church (St. Rose, Ohio)
St. Rose's Catholic Church is a historic Catholic church in St. Rose, an unincorporated community in Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States.-Parish history:Catholics near the community of St...
in St. Rose and St. Wendelin's in Wendelin, built one-room school
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
s for their children in the middle or late nineteenth century, while parishes such as St. Joseph's
St. Joseph's Catholic Church (Wapakoneta, Ohio)
St. Joseph's Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Wapakoneta, Ohio, United States. Built in 1910, this church is home to an active Catholic parish, and it has been declared a historic site because of its well-preserved Romanesque Revival architecture.-Early parish history:One of...
in Wapakoneta
Wapakoneta, Ohio
Wapakoneta is a city in and the county seat of Auglaize County, Ohio, United States with a population of 9,474 as of the 2000 U.S. census. It is the principal city of and is included in the Wapakoneta, Ohio Micropolitan S A, which is included in the Lima-Van Wert-Wapakoneta, Ohio CSA...
and St. John's in Fryburg erected larger two-story structures around the beginning of the twentieth century. Immaculate Conception's school was founded in 1881, when the parish purchased a church building formerly used by the Botkins Methodist
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
Church. In 1883, the school's enrollment was ninety-three children: forty-nine boys and forty-four girls. A new parish school building was erected in 1921, adjacent to the church. This building was built of brick and supported by a concrete foundation; it was a two-story building with a basement; among its most significant architectural features were the pillars at its entrance and the sharp contrasts at corners between walls. In this way, it was similar to parish schools at Celina
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church (Celina, Ohio)
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Church in Celina, Ohio, United States. Founded later than many other Catholic parishes in the heavily Catholic region of western Ohio, it owns a complex of buildings constructed in the early 20th century that have been...
and Coldwater, which were architecturally very similar to Botkins and to each other, and which were erected at a similar point in time.
Recent history
In 1961, the parish replaced its church building with a modern structure; however, the rectory and school were left in place. These two buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1979: the school qualified because of its architecture, and the rectory both because of its architecture and because of its contribution to statewide history. Thirty-four other buildings in western Ohio were listed on the Register at the same time as part of the "Cross-Tipped Churches of Ohio Thematic Resources," a group of Catholic churches and church-related properties in rural western Ohio. These massive churches are the namesake of the region, which has been nicknamed the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches
Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches
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...
."
Today, Immaculate Conception is an active parish of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
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...
. It is clustered with Sacred Heart Parish in McCartyville
McCartyville, Ohio
McCartyville is an unincorporated community in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. Located at the junction of State Routes 29 and 119, it lies in southern Van Buren Township, south of central Kettlersville and approximately northwest of the city of Sidney, the county seat of Shelby County...
and St. Lawrence Parish in Rhine, and the entire cluster is a part of the Sidney Deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
. Although the rectory retains its location adjacent to the church, the school has been destroyed, and a parking lot
Parking lot
A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
now sits in its place. This destruction was predicted in 1979 when the school was nominated for inclusion on the Register; the nominators noted that officials' demands for progress endangered many parish schools. Ultimately, the destruction was a result of the expansion of the local elementary school in 1985: until this point, the Botkins Local School District had been renting the unused parish school building, but the increased space produced by the expansion rendered the old school superfluous. Despite its destruction, the school remains on the National Register.