St. Louis' Catholic Church (North Star, Ohio)
Encyclopedia
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.
, 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
, approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) to the southeast. In 1906, the attachment was changed to St. Nicholas parish
in Osgood
, only 3 miles (4.8 km) miles away to the northeast. By the early 1910s, the parish had decided to move to North Star, and its new building was completed in the village in 1914. Still remaining at the church's original site is the parish cemetery, which lies at the intersection of Mangen and North Star-Fort Loramie Roads.
structure with multiple gable
s 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 cornice
s on the bell tower, bear evidence of the French Renaissance
style. No other Catholic church in the region resembles St. Louis' Church; the ecclesiastical architecture of the region typically employs the Gothic Revival
style.
; 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 dormer
s, covers the building. Among its most striking features is a stone cross, located between the second-story windows on the front of the house.
because of their architectural significance. 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. St. Louis' architecture is highly distinctive from and unique among the other churches of the area. In contrast to the French architecture of St. Louis' Church, most of these churches feature tall Gothic Revival
towers visible from a significant distance. 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
."
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
.
North Star, Ohio
North Star is a village in Darke County, Ohio, United States. The population was 209 at the 2000 census.-History:North Star was platted in 1852 along the road between Greenville and Celina, approximately midway between the two cities...
, 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...
. 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
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 unique architecture.
Parish history
The parish that became St. Louis' Church was established in the vicinity of North Star in 1892; at this time, it was dedicated to St. JohnJohn the Apostle
John the Apostle, John the Apostle, John the Apostle, (Aramaic Yoħanna, (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles...
, 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
Versailles, Ohio
Versailles is a village in Darke County, Ohio, United States. It is the only village in Wayne Township. The population was 2,589 at the 2000 census. The proper local pronunciation of the name is "Ver Sales", with the accent on the second syllable.-History:...
, approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) to the southeast. In 1906, the attachment was changed to St. Nicholas parish
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...
in Osgood
Osgood, Ohio
Osgood is a village in Darke County, Ohio, United States. The population was 255 at the 2000 census.-History:Osgood was founded in the 1880s. While its earliest settlers were primarily Protestants, a Roman Catholic parish was erected in the village in 1906. Today, St...
, only 3 miles (4.8 km) miles away to the northeast. By the early 1910s, the parish had decided to move to North Star, and its new building was completed in the village in 1914. Still remaining at the church's original site is the parish cemetery, which lies at the intersection of Mangen and North Star-Fort Loramie Roads.
Architecture
The church is a rectangular single-storyStorey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
structure with multiple 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...
s and an off-center square bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
. Walls of white-painted stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
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
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
is located above the entrance, wide 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 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 cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
s on the bell tower, bear evidence of the French Renaissance
French Renaissance architecture
French Renaissance architecture is the style of architecture which was imported to France from Italy during the early 16th century and developed in the light of local architectural traditions....
style. No other Catholic church in the region resembles St. Louis' Church; the ecclesiastical architecture of the region typically employs the Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style.
Rectory
Adjacent to the church on the west is a brick rectoryRectory
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 1914, it replaced a small wooden rectory that has since been moved to a different part of the village. Constructed in a vernacular
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
style, it is a square two-story structure with an ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
foundation and an enclosed front porch. A hip roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
of asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
shingle, pierced by multiple dormer
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...
s, covers the building. Among its most striking features is a stone cross, located between the second-story windows on the front of the house.
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. Two years later, the buildings were listed together 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...
because of their architectural significance. 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. St. Louis' architecture is highly distinctive from and unique among the other churches of the area. In contrast to the French architecture of St. Louis' Church, most of these churches feature tall Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
towers visible from a significant distance. 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
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, St. Louis' Church 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 St. Remy parish
St. Remy's 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.-Parish history:...
in Russia
Russia, Ohio
Russia is a village in Loramie Township, Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 551 at the 2000 census.-History:Russia was founded by Lewis Phillips, who purchased and platted the land where the village now sits. Phillips' house, built in 1853, was the first house in Russia; other...
and St. Nicholas parish
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...
in Osgood
Osgood, Ohio
Osgood is a village in Darke County, Ohio, United States. The population was 255 at the 2000 census.-History:Osgood was founded in the 1880s. While its earliest settlers were primarily Protestants, a Roman Catholic parish was erected in the village in 1906. Today, St...
, and the entire cluster is 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 :...
.