St. Henry's Catholic Church (St. Henry, Ohio) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
St. Henry Catholic Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Side of the church
Location in Ohio Show map of Ohio Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Main St., St. Henry, Ohio
Area	3 acres (1.2 ha)
Built	1897
Architect	Adolphus Druiding (1838 - 1899)
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No.	79002829
Added to NRHP	July 26, 1979

St. Henry's Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church. It is located in St. Henry, Ohio, United States. This church was built in the late 1800s. It is still used by a church community today. The building is important because of its beautiful design and history.

Church History

A granite statue of Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor above the main entrance.

The St. Henry church community started in 1839. This was two years after the village of St. Henry was founded. The church was named after Henry II. He was a Holy Roman Emperor in the 11th century.

At first, there were not many Catholics in the area. So, the first church building was small. It was made of wood and built in 1840. Later, a bigger brick church was finished in 1854. It cost about $7,000 to build.

The Current Church Building

The inside of the church before changes were made in the 1970s.

By the 1890s, the church community had grown a lot. They needed an even bigger church. Building the new church began in 1895. Many church members helped with the construction.

The church was designed by Adolphus Druiding. He was an architect from Chicago, born in Germany. The building was finished in 1897. It cost around $100,000. In the early 1900s, people said it was the most expensive church in northwest Ohio.

Church Design and Features

The church is built in the Gothic Revival style. It looks like a Latin cross from above. The outside walls are made of brick. It has a gabled roof and a strong stone foundation.

The most noticeable part of the church is its tall belfry and clock tower. It stands about 200 feet (60 meters) high. Large rose windows let light into the church. The inside walls have paintings and frescoes. The ceiling vault is 62 feet (19 meters) high.

The outside of St. Henry Church looks similar to two other churches designed by Adolphus Druiding. These are St. Patrick (built 1891) in Toledo, Ohio, and St. Michael (built 1890) in Rochester, New York.

In the 1970s, the church had a big renovation. Some parts of the sanctuary were changed. This included removing frescoes by Joseph Vittur and some statues. The High Gothic altar was also removed.

Stained Glass Windows

Saint Henry in Heaven praying for the people of St. Henry Church.

The inside of the church has beautiful Munich-style stained glass windows.

Some of the window subjects include

• The Sacred Heart of Jesus
• The Immaculate Heart of Mary
• Christ as the Good Samaritan
• Saint Francis seeing a vision of Jesus and the Virgin Mary
• Saint Gaspar del Bufalo preaching
• A vision of Saint Agnes
• Saint Aloysius receiving a vision of the Virgin Mary
• The martyrdom of Saint Cyriacus
• Saint Henry praying for church members in Heaven
• The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Other Buildings Nearby

A brick rectory is next to the church on its east side. It was built in 1901. It is a large house with different architectural styles. Behind the rectory, there is a catechetical center and a public elementary school.

An older church school used to be on the west side of the church. It was built in the Italianate style in 1905. After the church stopped using it, it became a public junior high school.

Recent History

The church nave decorated for Advent in 2013.

In 1977, a survey looked at the church's architecture. It said the outside of St. Henry's Church was in good condition. Two years later, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historic building.

Today, St. Henry's is still an active church. It is part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It belongs to a group of churches called the St. Henry Cluster. This cluster includes St. Aloysius Parish in Carthagena, St. Bernard Parish in Burkettsville, St. Francis Parish in Cranberry Prairie, and St. Wendelin Parish in St. Wendelin.