St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (Maria Stein, Ohio)
Encyclopedia
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Marion Township
, Mercer County
, Ohio
, United States
. Located in the unincorporated community
of Maria Stein
, it is the home of an active congregation and has been recognized as a historic site
because of its well-preserved late nineteenth-century Gothic Revival architecture
.
Large numbers of Catholics from northern Europe settled in southern Mercer County and surrounding regions in the early nineteenth century because of the activities of the Society of the Precious Blood
in the region. The center of the society's activities was the Maria Stein Convent
, located less than 1 miles (1.6 km) north of St. Johns. From this convent was derived the name of the community.
St. John the Baptist Parish was founded in St. Johns in 1837 by priests of the Society from the village of Minster
to the east; at that time, it was dedicated to John the Baptist
. A small log
church was erected to house the congregation, but the number of parishioners soon grew to the point that it was inadequate to house the congregation. Accordingly, a brick church was built to replace the log structure. As the membership continued to grow, multiple additions were built onto the original structure. By the 1880s, the parish had decided to replace the old brick church entirely with a yet larger building.
Today, St. John's remains an active parish of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
. It is part of the Marion Catholic Community cluster, along with Precious Blood parish
in Chickasaw
, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin parish
in Cassella
, St. Rose parish
in St. Rose, and St. Sebastian parish
in Sebastian
. The entire cluster is a part of the St. Marys Deanery
.
that was designed to house four tower clocks
. Large amounts of sandstone
are used to trim
the corners of the brick church, which can be entered through three doors at the base of the tower. The church is built on a stone foundation and is topped with a gable
d roof of asphalt
. Many rounded lancet window
s of stained glass
illuminate the interior; among the most prominent of its windows are those of the sacristy
, which feature deep blue stained glass. The church's heavily decorated interior includes elaborate altars
and a reredos
built in the Romanesque Revival
style.
Architectural historians have divided the Precious Blood-related churches of western Ohio into four generations. St. John's is typical of the churches of the third generation, which are generally Gothic Revival
structures with a single central tower. It is one of six extant churches from this period that were designed by J.A. Decurtins and his sons
.
s have been operated by the parish. Its high school
building (now demolished), erected in 1930, was built on the opposite side of State Route 119 from the church; after some years as a high school, it was converted into an elementary school
. An earlier school, established and closed on unknown dates, was formerly operated in association with St. John's Church. In 1907, this school's 200 students were taught by the Sisters of the Precious Blood
.
Located immediately to the east of the church is a rectory
, built in 1906. Designed by the DeCurtins family in a combination of architectural styles, its walls are built of brick, laid in a stretcher bond
; the square structure rests on a stone foundation and is covered by a slate roof that is pierced by multiple dormer windows
. In addition to its buildings, the parish maintains a cemetery adjacent to the church.
program of the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office. This architectural survey ranked both buildings in good condition with no threats to their historic integrity. Two years later, the church and rectory were listed together on the National Register of Historic Places
because of their architectural significance. More than thirty other buildings in western Ohio related to the Society of the Precious Blood were listed on the National Register at the same time as part of a multiple property submission. These historic buildings, both churches and other church-related structures, are the namesake of the region of rural western Ohio known as the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches
." St. John's Church lies in the middle of this heavily Catholic area, just 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) away from its center at the Maria Stein Convent.
Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio
Marion Township is one of the fourteen townships of Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,969 people in the township, 2,605 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
, Mercer County
Mercer County, Ohio
Mercer County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. Its county seat is Celina and is named for Hugh Mercer, an officer in the American Revolutionary War.The Celina Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Mercer County.-Geography:...
, 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...
. Located in the unincorporated community
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
of Maria Stein
Maria Stein, Ohio
Maria Stein is an unincorporated community in central Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The community and the Maria Stein Convent lie at the center of the area known as the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches, where a missionary priest, Father Francis de Sales Brunner,...
, it is the home of an active congregation and has been recognized as a 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...
because of its well-preserved late nineteenth-century Gothic Revival architecture
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
.
Parish history
The community of St. Johns was established in 1833. Its name was selected because all of its early male settlers bore the name of John. When the Cincinnati, Hamilton, and Dayton Railway expanded through Mercer County some years later, its surveyors chose a path through the small community of Maria Stein, to the west of St. Johns. As these two communities were separated by only 0.5 mile (0.80467 km), business interests migrated to the vicinity of the railroad, and the two communities eventually merged under the name of Maria Stein.Large numbers of Catholics from northern Europe settled in southern Mercer County and surrounding regions in the early nineteenth century because of the activities of the Society of the Precious Blood
Missionaries of the Precious Blood
The Missionaries of the Precious Blood form a community of priests and brothers within the Latin Church, one of the 23 sui iuris churches which make up the universal Catholic Church. The Society was founded by Saint Gaspar del Bufalo in 1815...
in the region. The center of the society's activities was the Maria Stein Convent
Shrine of the Holy Relics
The Shrine of the Holy Relics in Maria Stein, Ohio is the second largest collection of relics in the United States. It is a part of the historic Maria Stein Convent.-History:...
, located less than 1 miles (1.6 km) north of St. Johns. From this convent was derived the name of the community.
St. John the Baptist Parish was founded in St. Johns in 1837 by priests of the Society from the village of Minster
Minster, Ohio
Minster is a village in Auglaize County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,794 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Wapakoneta, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area...
to the east; at that time, it was dedicated to John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
. A small log
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
church was erected to house the congregation, but the number of parishioners soon grew to the point that it was inadequate to house the congregation. Accordingly, a brick church was built to replace the log structure. As the membership continued to grow, multiple additions were built onto the original structure. By the 1880s, the parish had decided to replace the old brick church entirely with a yet larger building.
Today, St. John's remains 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 part of the Marion Catholic Community cluster, along with Precious Blood parish
Precious Blood Catholic Church (Chickasaw, Ohio)
Precious Blood Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Chickasaw, Ohio, United States. Erected in 1903 and still an active parish, the church historically owned two buildings constructed in its early years that have been designated as historic sites....
in Chickasaw
Chickasaw, Ohio
Chickasaw is a village in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The population was 364 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Chickasaw is located at ....
, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin parish
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church is a historic Catholic church in Cassella, an unincorporated community in Mercer County, Ohio, United States...
in Cassella
Cassella, Ohio
Cassella is an unincorporated community in Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. Located at , it lies at an elevation of 955 feet...
, St. Rose parish
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. Sebastian parish
St. Sebastian's Catholic Church (Sebastian, Ohio)
St. Sebastian's Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. Located in the unincorporated community of Sebastian, it is the home of an active congregation and has been declared a historic site because of its well-preserved early...
in Sebastian
Sebastian, Ohio
Sebastian is an unincorporated community in northern Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. Its elevation is 932 feet , and it is located at...
. The entire cluster is a part of the St. Marys 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 :...
.
Architecture
The current St. John's Church was completed in 1888 at a cost of $40,145. Its architecture, which has been ranked among the leading churches of Mercer County, features a massive towerSteeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
that was designed to house four tower clocks
Turret clock
A Turret clock is a clock mounted in a tower or turret, usually to show the current time on a dial with hand or to announce the time by strike, or both. It can also have more than one dial to show days, moon phases, and other astronomical data.-Sundials:...
. Large amounts of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
are used to trim
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
the corners of the brick church, which can be entered through three doors at the base of the tower. The church is built on a stone foundation and is topped with a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof of asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
. Many rounded lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s of 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...
illuminate the interior; among the most prominent of its windows are those of the sacristy
Sacristy
A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.The sacristy is usually located inside the church, but in some cases it is an annex or separate building...
, which feature deep blue stained glass. The church's heavily decorated interior includes elaborate altars
Altar (Catholicism)
In the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church, the altar is where the Sacrifice of the Mass is offered. Mass may sometimes be celebrated outside a sacred place, but never without an altar, or at least an altar stone.-Precedent:...
and a reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
built in the Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style.
Architectural historians have divided the Precious Blood-related churches of western Ohio into four generations. St. John's is typical of the churches of the third generation, which are generally Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
structures with a single central tower. It is one of six extant churches from this period that were designed by J.A. Decurtins and his sons
DeCurtins
The DeCurtins family, sometimes written De Curtins, were involved in Midwestern U.S. church architecture. Anton De Curtins was a Swiss immigrant who lived in Carthagena, Ohio and designed several Gothic architecture churches in Mercer County, Ohio, as well as rectories, schools and residences...
.
Related buildings
Two different Catholic schoolCatholic 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...
s have been operated by the parish. Its high school
Secondary education in the United States
In most jurisdictions, secondary education in the United States refers to the last six or seven years of statutory formal education. Secondary education is generally split between junior high school or middle school, usually beginning with sixth or seventh grade , and high school, beginning with...
building (now demolished), erected in 1930, was built on the opposite side of State Route 119 from the church; after some years as a high school, it was converted into an elementary school
Primary education in the United States
Primary education in the United States typically refers to the first six years of formal education in most jurisdictions. Primary education may also be referred to as elementary education and most schools offering these programs are referred to as elementary schools...
. An earlier school, established and closed on unknown dates, was formerly operated in association with St. John's Church. In 1907, this school's 200 students were taught by the Sisters of the Precious Blood
Missionaries of the Precious Blood
The Missionaries of the Precious Blood form a community of priests and brothers within the Latin Church, one of the 23 sui iuris churches which make up the universal Catholic Church. The Society was founded by Saint Gaspar del Bufalo in 1815...
.
Located immediately to the east of the church is a rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
, built in 1906. Designed by the DeCurtins family in a combination of architectural styles, its walls are built of brick, laid in a stretcher bond
Brickwork
Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar to build up brick structures such as walls. Brickwork is also used to finish corners, door, and window openings, etc...
; the square structure rests on a stone foundation and is covered by a slate roof that is pierced by multiple dormer windows
Dormer
A dormer is a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows.Often...
. In addition to its buildings, the parish maintains a cemetery adjacent to the church.
Preservation
In 1977, St. John's Church and its associated rectory were recorded by the Ohio Historic Inventory, a historic preservationHistoric preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
program of the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office. This architectural survey ranked both buildings in good condition with no threats to their historic integrity. Two years later, the church and rectory were listed together on the National Register of Historic Places
National 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...
because of their architectural significance. More than thirty other buildings in western Ohio related to the Society of the Precious Blood were listed on the National Register at the same time as part of a multiple property submission. These historic buildings, both churches and other church-related structures, are the namesake of the region of rural western Ohio known as 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...
." St. John's Church lies in the middle of this heavily Catholic area, just 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) away from its center at the Maria Stein Convent.
Further reading
- Miller, James E. "Historic Maria Stein Parish Named After Swiss Convent." The Daily Standard, November 1950.
- "History of St. John Parish in Maria Stein". Nuntius Aulae XI-XII (1928-1928).