Immaculate Conception Catholic Church (Celina, Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Complex
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Front of the church
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | Anthony and Walnut Sts., Celina, Ohio |
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| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Built | 1903 |
| Architect | Andrew DeCurtins; John Burkhart |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival, English Perpendicular |
| MPS | Cross-Tipped Churches of Ohio TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002833 |
| Added to NRHP | July 26, 1979 |
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is a parish (a local church community) of the Roman Catholic Church located in Celina, Ohio, United States. This church is part of a group of important buildings. These buildings were constructed in the early 1900s and are now recognized as historic sites because of their special design.
The main church building is very large and built in the Romanesque Revival style. It was completed just 43 years after the first Catholic person moved to Celina. Many people have called it the most impressive church building in northwestern Ohio.
Contents
Parish History: Celina's Catholic Community
Early Catholic Presence in Ohio
Catholic communities were growing in southern Mercer County as early as the 1830s. Parishes like St. John the Baptist in Maria Stein and St. Rose were started in 1837. Other parishes, such as St. Henry and St. Joe, also began before 1840.
Celina's First Catholics
Even with many Catholics nearby, Celina itself was mostly Protestant at first. When the town was planned in 1834, land was given for Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches. For over 25 years, no Catholics lived in the village.
The first Catholic, Owen Gallagher, moved to Celina in 1860. By 1864, Mass (the Catholic church service) was held every two weeks in a local factory. A priest named Joseph Gregory Dwenger from Holy Rosary parish in nearby St. Marys usually led these services.
Founding the Immaculate Conception Parish
In 1864, a formal Catholic parish was created in Celina. It was named after the Immaculate Conception. More Catholics then moved to Celina, and the parish grew quickly. Soon, they needed their own church building.
The Archbishop of Cincinnati, John Baptist Purcell, came to Celina on August 3, 1864, to lay the cornerstone for the new church. Parish members donated money throughout 1864 and 1865. The first church building was finished in November 1865. It was a brick building, about 40 feet by 60 feet, and cost $7,000.
Building a Grand New Church
The parish continued to grow, and by 1899, they started collecting money for an even bigger church. Construction on the new, current church building began in 1900. It was dedicated in 1903 and cost $52,000. In the early 1900s, many people thought it was the most beautiful church in all of northwestern Ohio. Even today, its architecture stands out in downtown Celina.
Pastoral Care and Schools
Since the parish began, priests from the Missionaries of the Precious Blood have served the community. Joseph Dwenger, the first priest to celebrate Mass in Celina, was part of this group. The first priest to live in Celina was Theopistus Wittmer, who arrived in 1876. The church bought a small house for him to use as a rectory (a priest's home).
Soon after, the parish built a new parochial school building. This two-story building was about 40 feet by 36 feet. It replaced an older, smaller school that had started in 1871. In 1879, a convent was built for the Sisters of the Precious Blood. They came to teach at the school. A larger convent was built in 1949.
Current Parish Status
Today, Immaculate Conception is still an active parish in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It works together with Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Montezuma and St. Theresa, Little Flower of Jesus parish in Rockford. All three churches are part of the St. Marys Deanery (a group of parishes).
Church Buildings: Architecture and Design
The Main Church Building
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The church itself is a large brick building shaped like a Greek cross. It was designed by Andrew DeCurtins from Lima and built by John Burkhart from Kenton. This Romanesque Revival style church was built in 1903. It has a large bronze dome in the center.
People enter the church through its eastern side. The front of the church has three large doorways and a huge rose window. Two square towers top the front of the church. Each tower has an eight-sided belfry and a smaller bronze dome. Inside, the church is richly decorated with paintings on many walls. The altar also has a distinct Romanesque style. The entire building sits on a strong stone foundation with a basement.
Architectural experts have studied the Precious Blood churches in western Ohio. They group them into four periods. Immaculate Conception church is from the end of the third period (1885-1905). Its Romanesque Revival style was unusual for that time. It was more common in the fourth period (1905-1925), making this church a bridge between two styles.
The Rectory (Priest's House)
The Immaculate Conception rectory is located right next to the church on the west side. It is a large, square, three-story brick house. This is the third house used as the parish rectory. In 1876, members bought a frame house. Later, the priest moved into the old school building after a new one was built in 1889.
In 1908, the parish bought land next to the church for $2,000. They then built the current rectory for $10,000. The house has three sections on the front and six on each side. It sits on a cut stone foundation with a basement. You can enter through a large front door or a smaller door on the back of the east side.
A large porch with stone columns dominates the front of the house. There is also a smaller, two-story enclosed porch on the east side. A small section with a gable and a semicircular window sticks out from the front of the house above the porch. The house combines different styles, including Italianate details. Its design also seems to be influenced by Sears Modern Homes.
The Elementary School Building
The Immaculate Conception Elementary School is located just north of the church. It was built in 1918 and cost $70,000. This two-story brick building has a flat asphalt roof. It has sixteen sections on each of its two sides.
Key features include a central part that sticks out on the eastern front. This part has an arched doorway and decorative panels around the entrance. The school was built because the previous school building from 1889 had become too small.
In its early years, this building housed both the elementary and high school students. The high school later moved to a new building across the street due to continued growth. The architect for the elementary school was a member of the DeCurtins family, related to the church's designer. The old elementary school building is still used as a school today.
The Former High School Building
The former Immaculate Conception High School is located across Walnut Street from the other church buildings. It was built in 1933 by William and Joseph Forsthoff. Fred DeCurtins, a relative of the church's architect, designed the building. The DeCurtins family designed many churches and religious buildings in the area.
Architectural historians believe this high school was the last building designed by the DeCurtins family for the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. The high school closed in 1972. The building was later leased to the Celina City School District for use as a ninth-grade academy.
This three-story building is made of brick and stone. It sits on a concrete foundation with a basement and has a flat roof. The building is square, with thirteen sections on the front and sixteen on the sides. The main entrance on the west side is large and arched, with a stone gable at the top. A similar entrance is on the south side.
Eight stone columns on the main front are a key feature. They frame groups of five windows on each floor and rise to different heights, creating a unique vertical look. This style is common among modern architects who mix old designs with new trends.
Recognition and Historic Status
In 1977, the church, rectory, and schools were studied by the Ohio Historic Inventory. This program found the church in excellent condition. The elementary school was in fair condition, and the high school and rectory were in good condition.
Two years later, in 1979, the entire complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This was because of the well-preserved and historically important architecture of its buildings. At the same time, over thirty other churches and buildings in western Ohio, connected to the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, were also listed.
This area, centered around Maria Stein, is known as the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches." It has many large Romanesque Revival or Gothic Revival churches. Their tall spires rise high above small towns and can be seen from miles away.
Images for kids
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The church chancel and apse
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