St. Joseph's Catholic Church (Springfield, Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church
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Eastern side of the church
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 802 Kenton St., Springfield, Ohio |
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| Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1892 |
| Architect | Charles A. Cregar |
| Architectural style | Early Romanesque Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 82003552 |
| Added to NRHP | March 15, 1982 |
St. Joseph's Church is an old and important Catholic church. It is located in Springfield, Ohio, in the United States. This church was built in the 1880s to serve the many Catholic families living in southeastern Springfield. It is a tall building designed in the Romanesque Revival style by a famous architect. Today, it is known as a historic site.
How the Church Started
Back in 1830, there were no Catholic families in Clark County. But between 1835 and 1845, about twenty Catholic families moved to Springfield. By 1850, there were around seventy Catholic families in the city.
In 1849, the Bishop of Cincinnati created Springfield's first Catholic church, called Saint Raphael. By the 1880s, many Catholic people lived on the southeast side of Springfield. So, plans began for a new church just for them.
In 1881, three pieces of land were bought for the new church. A parish school building started being built in 1882. The new Church of St. Joseph became its own separate church in the same year.
By late 1883, the school was open for students. C.M. Berding became the first priest for the church on January 1, 1884. During his time, construction started on the current church building in 1892. The church took on a lot of debt to build it. But thanks to Father Berding and the next two priests, the building became grand. They also managed to pay off almost all the debt. By 1908, the church had 400 families as members. The school had about 450 children attending.
Church Design and Style
St. Joseph's is a tall building with a mix of styles. It has a big spire on top of its bell tower. The church is made of brick and sits on a stone foundation. It has decorations made of brick and stone.
The front of the church has three main sections. The middle section sticks out a little more than the sides. Each section has an entrance. Above the main entrance, there is a large pointed-arch window. There are three smaller pointed windows above the side entrances.
Round columns are built into the corners of the building. These columns go up to small pointed towers above the roof. Many of the church's windows are made of beautiful stained glass.
Building the church cost $76,000, including loans and interest. This was a lot of money back then! The architect who designed it was Charles A. Cregar. He was one of the most important architects in Springfield's history. Cregar was known for his Romanesque Revival designs. He designed buildings like the old city hall. St. Joseph's Church mostly looks Romanesque Revival. But its windows and tall steeple also show influences from the Gothic Revival style.
Modern Day Church
St. Joseph's Church is still an active part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati. However, it is no longer a separate church on its own. St. Raphael's and St. Joseph's churches have now joined together to form one parish.
The church building itself is very well-known. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in early 1982. This was because of its important and beautiful architecture. St. Joseph's is one of six buildings designed by Charles A. Cregar that are on the Register. Other buildings include the old city hall and St. Raphael's Church.
