St. Louis Catholic Church (North Star, Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Louis Catholic Church and Rectory
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Front and eastern side of the church
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | East of the intersection of North Star Road and U.S. Route 127 |
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| Nearest city | North Star, Ohio |
| Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1914 |
| MPS | Cross-Tipped Churches of Ohio TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002835 |
| Added to NRHP | July 26, 1979 |
St. Louis Catholic Church is an old and important church in North Star, Ohio. It was built in the early 1900s. Even though it's newer than some churches in this area, it's special because of its unique design. That's why it's listed as a historic site.
Contents
The Church's History
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The community that became St. Louis Church started near North Star in 1892. Back then, it was called St. John's. Its first church building was about 2 miles east of North Star. This first church was finished in 1893.
For a while, St. John's was connected to St. Denis parish in Versailles. Versailles is about 7 miles to the southeast. In 1906, it became connected to St. Nicholas parish in Osgood. Osgood is only 3 miles northeast.
Around 1910, the church decided to move to North Star. The new building, which is the current St. Louis Church, was finished in 1914. The old cemetery from the first church is still there. You can find it at the corner of Mangen and North Star-Fort Loramie Roads.
What Makes the Church Special?
The church building is a rectangular, one-story structure. It has several pointed roofs called gables. There is also a tall, square bell tower that is not in the very center. The walls are covered in white stucco, which is a type of plaster. These walls sit on a strong concrete base. The roof is made of asphalt.
Inside, the church gets light from many windows of different shapes. Above the main entrance, there is a round window called a rose window. The main walls have wide stained glass windows with rounded tops. The bell tower has narrow, rectangular windows.
The church's design mixes different styles. Many parts, like the decorative edges on the bell tower, show the French Renaissance style. This church looks very different from other Catholic churches nearby. Most churches in this area use the Gothic Revival style.
The Rectory Building
Next to the church on the west side is a brick building called the rectory. This building was also built in 1914. It replaced an older, smaller wooden rectory. That wooden building was moved to another part of the village.
The rectory has a simple, local style. It is a square, two-story building. It has a stone base made of cut blocks. There is also an enclosed front porch. The roof is a hip roof, which slopes on all four sides. It is covered with asbestos shingles and has several windows sticking out, called dormers. One special part of the rectory is a stone cross. It is located between the second-story windows on the front of the house.
Why is it a Historic Site?
In 1977, experts looked at the church and rectory for a survey called the Ohio Historic Inventory. They found both buildings were in good shape. They also said there was nothing threatening their condition. Two years later, in 1979, both buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This happened because of their special architecture.
St. Louis Church's design is very different from other churches in the area. Most of these other churches have tall, Gothic Revival towers. You can see these towers from far away. These huge towers give the region its nickname: the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches."
Today, St. Louis Church is an active part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It belongs to a group of parishes called the Northwest 5 family. This group includes St. Remy's in Russia, St. Denis in Versailles, Holy Family in Frenchtown, St. Mary's in Greenville, and St. Nicholas in Osgood.
