St. Nicholas Catholic Church (Osgood, Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Nicholas 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 705 and Washington St., Osgood, Ohio |
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| Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1907 |
| Architect | Edward Schlochtmeyer |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| MPS | Cross-Tipped Churches of Ohio TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002841 |
| Added to NRHP | July 26, 1979 |
St. Nicholas Catholic Church is an old and beautiful Catholic church in Osgood, Ohio, United States. It was built over 100 years ago, in the early 1900s. Even though it's one of the newer churches in an area with many Catholic communities, it's famous for its amazing design. That's why it's listed as a historic site.
Contents
History of the Church
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Osgood is close to towns like Minster and Fort Loramie, which have many Catholic residents. However, the first people who settled in Osgood were mostly from different Christian groups. Because of this, a Catholic church was built much later in Osgood than in nearby villages.
For example, St. Augustine's Church in Minster and St. Michael's Church in Fort Loramie were built by 1850. But the idea for a Catholic church in Osgood didn't start until 1904. The church community officially began in 1906.
At first, people held church services in regular buildings. They even bought a barn to use as their church for a while. It was hard to build a proper church because there weren't many members, so money was often scarce.
However, things changed in late 1906. They finished their first temporary church building in September. That same year, they bought land on the east side of the village. Soon after, they started building a permanent brick church. This new church was finished and opened on September 6, 1908. It cost about $22,000 to build. By 1914, the church community had grown from just 35 families in 1906 to 85 families!
What the Church Looks Like
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The church sits on a strong stone base with a basement underneath. Its walls are made of brick, decorated with stone. The roof is covered with asphalt. The building is mostly shaped like a rectangle, but it has parts that stick out on each side, making it look a bit like a cross. These parts are called a slight transept.
The most striking part of the church is its tall, eight-sided steeple. It sits on top of a tower at the main entrance. This tower has a belfry for bells and fancy brickwork called corbelling. A golden cross shines at the very top of the tower.
When you enter the church, you first go through a small entrance room called a vestibule. From there, you walk through the bottom of the tower to get inside the main church area. Before 1970, when the vestibule was added, the main doors were part of the tower itself.
The Rectory Building
In 1914, the church members built a brick house for their pastor, which is called a rectory. This house is next to the church on its east side. It has a strong foundation with a basement and a sloped roof called a hip roof.
The rectory is a two-story building. It has a porch on its west side that faces the church. There's also a window that sticks out from the roof on the south side, called a dormer. The house is square-shaped and has three sections, or bays, on each of its sides.
Keeping the Church Safe
In 1977, experts looked at St. Nicholas Church and said it was in great shape, both inside and out. They noted that the building was not in danger of falling apart. Just two years later, in 1979, the church and its rectory were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This was because of their important and beautiful architecture.
At the same time, 26 other church buildings in the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches" area were also added to the National Register. Two of these were in Darke County, just like St. Nicholas Church. They were St. Louis' Church in North Star and Holy Family Church in Frenchtown.
Today, St. Nicholas is still an active church in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It works closely with St. Louis parish in North Star and St. Remy's Catholic Church in Russia. All these churches are part of the Sidney Deanery.
