Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Cassella Catholic Church and Rectory
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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 | State Route 119 in Cassella, Ohio |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1858 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| MPS | Cross-Tipped Churches of Ohio TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002822 |
| Added to NRHP | July 26, 1979 |
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church is a very old and special Catholic church located in Cassella, a small community in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. It is one of many Catholic churches in Marion Township. This church is considered a historic site because its design from the 1800s is still very well-preserved.
Contents
A Look at the Church's History
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The Nativity church community started in 1847. In its early years, priests from the Society of the Precious Blood would travel to Cassella to lead services. Soon after the community formed, a small wooden church was built. It was located on the northeast corner of what is now Cassella-Montezuma Road and State Route 119.
Later, some members of the church community formed their own church. This happened because it was hard for them to travel to Cassella. So, the St. Francis parish was created in Cranberry Prairie in 1858.
Even with the new church, the original wooden church in Cassella became too small by the late 1850s. So, starting in 1858, the community spent $6,000 to build a new church made of brick. This new church was built on the southeast corner of the same intersection. Other buildings, like a large house for the pastor, were also built around the church.
Today, Nativity is still an active church in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It is part of a group of churches called the Marion Catholic Community. This group includes churches in Chickasaw, Sebastian, St. Rose, and Maria Stein.
Exploring the Church Buildings
There are several important buildings owned by the church community. They are all located near the main intersection in Cassella. These buildings were built over more than fifty years.
The Main Church Building
The church building is shaped like a rectangle. It has one main floor. The front of the church is three sections wide, and the sides are four sections long. It sits on a stone base with a basement. The walls are made of brick, covered with stone. The roof is pointed, like a triangle, and made of asphalt.
Construction on the church began in 1858. It was officially opened in August 1862. The church was designed in a style called High Gothic Revival. It was changed a lot after a big fire in 1888. The fire almost destroyed the church, burning the inside completely. However, the original walls survived, though badly burned.
The church was quickly rebuilt for $16,000. But the outside still showed signs of the fire for many years. In 1915, German builders covered the damaged walls with cut stone. This is the beautiful stone exterior you see today.
The most noticeable part of the church is the tall, square tower at the front. It has a small dome on top, above a special arched window. The tower is decorated with fancy columns. People enter the church through a large door at the bottom of this tower.
This tall tower was added later. When the church was first built, it was smaller and simpler. It looked similar to Holy Family Catholic Church in Frenchtown. But in 1877, St. Aloysius' Catholic Church in Carthagena was built with a tall tower. This was a new idea for the area. After that, many new churches were built with tall towers. Also, many older churches, like Nativity, added tall towers to their designs.
Because many churches in this area have tall, pointed Gothic Revival towers, locals call the region the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches."
Experts who study buildings have grouped the Cross-Tipped Churches into four types, or "generations." Nativity's first church was a typical first-generation church, which were usually small wooden buildings. Nativity is one of the oldest second-generation churches. These were generally small, rectangular brick buildings, like Holy Family Church. Even though Nativity was built during the time of the first generation, it got its current look after the 1888 fire.
The Pastor's House (Rectory)
Next to the church on the east side is a large house for the pastor, called a rectory. It was built in 1904. This is a square, two-story building. Its walls are made of brick, and it sits on a stone base. The roof is sloped on all sides and covered with asphalt shingles.
Some special features of the rectory include a large window that sticks out from the roof, above the front porch. It also has a fancy triangular part of the roof with a special window. There is also an eight-sided tower on one corner of the house. The building's style mixes different designs, with some elements from the Gothic Revival style.
In the church's first ten years, priests who traveled would stay at nearby convents when they visited. So, there was no need for a rectory. Even after the church had a regular pastor, he often lived at a nearby convent. This changed in the early 1900s. The leader of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati said that all churches must build houses for their pastors. The houses built then were usually two-story brick buildings with sloped roofs and porches. The rectory at Cassella is one of the best examples from that time.
Other Important Buildings
Two old parish schools are located along Cassella-Montezuma Road, just south of the church. These schools used to have only one room. They share some similar features, like double round windows and double doors on their fronts. Many churches in the area built schools for their children. While many one-room schools have been torn down or changed a lot, some have been turned into church halls or other types of buildings.
Soon after the church community was started, the Sisters of the Precious Blood built a convent about half a mile south of Cassella. This building, known as the "Gruenwald Convent," was built in 1850. At one time, sixty nuns lived there. This building is no longer used as a convent today.
Why This Church is Special
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In 1977, Nativity Church and its rectory were studied by the Ohio Historic Inventory. This was a survey to find and record historic places in Ohio. The survey noted that no special efforts were being made to preserve the buildings. However, both the church and the rectory were in good condition, both inside and out. There were no known threats to their future.
Two years later, in 1979, the church and rectory were officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. They were listed because their old architectural style was so well-preserved. At the same time, thirty-two other properties were also added to the Register. These included twenty-five other churches. Many of these were related to the Precious Blood community in western Ohio. The Gruenwald Convent and most of the other churches in the Marion Catholic Community were included. However, Precious Blood Church in Chickasaw was not listed, but its school and rectory were.
Images for kids
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Front of the church
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This painting on the church ceiling shows the Immaculate Conception.
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Holy Family Church, which looked similar to Nativity Church when it was first built.
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One of the former parish schools.
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Inside the church, looking from the back.
