St. John's Catholic Church (Delphos, Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. John Catholic Church
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Southern side and front of the church
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 110 N. Franklin St., Delphos, Ohio |
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| Area | 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) |
| Built | 1880 |
| Architect | S.W. Lane |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002933 |
| Added to NRHP | January 3, 1980 |
St. John's Catholic Church is a really old and important church located in Delphos, Ohio, a town in Ohio, United States. It's a Catholic Church that belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo. This church was designed by an architect named S.W. Lane and is famous for its beautiful and unique building style.
Contents
History of St. John's Church
How the Church Began
The St. John's Church community, also called a Parish, started in 1842. It was founded by German Catholic families who had moved to Ohio from a place called Osnabrück.
Growing Pains and a New Building
In 1854, the community faced a tough time with a sickness called cholera. But the church kept growing! It became so big that it was split into two groups. Some members in Landeck, Ohio started their own separate church.
A man named Frederick Bredeick gave land for the church building you see today. Construction began in 1879 and was finished the next year, in 1880.
The Canal's Impact
The town of Delphos grew a lot because of the Miami and Erie Canal. This canal was like a busy highway for boats, bringing lots of trade and money. Because of this, the church community also became more successful. The grand design of St. John's Church shows how much wealth came from the canal's business. It's similar to another big church, St. Michael's Catholic Church (Fort Loramie, Ohio), in Shelby County, Ohio.
Amazing Architecture of St. John's
A Look Inside the Church
The inside of St. John's Church is truly special. One cool feature is its prominent rib vault, which is a fancy arched ceiling. There are also two rows of columns in the main part of the church, called the nave. These columns have beautiful tops known as Corinthian capitals.
The altar inside the church looks like the one in a famous church in Rome, Italy, called the Basilica di San Clemente. Experts who study buildings say that the inside of St. John's Church is unmatched in western Ohio.
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Outside the Church
The outside of the church is also very impressive. Many large Catholic churches in western Ohio are built in a style called Gothic Revival architecture. This style often has tall, pointed arches and spires. In fact, several counties in western Ohio are even called the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches" because of how many Gothic Revival churches are there.
But St. John's Church is different! It's built in the Romanesque Revival style, which is unique for such a large church in this area. It's so big that it takes up an entire city block. The church's tall tower is the most noticeable part of the Delphos skyline. Because of its size and importance, some people have even compared it to a cathedral, which is a very large and important church.
National Recognition
In 1980, St. John's Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a special list of buildings, sites, and objects that are important in American history, architecture, or culture. The church was recognized for its amazing architectural design.
It is the only church in Allen County, Ohio to be on this list. It is also one of only three buildings in Delphos that have received this special recognition.
