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

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St. Patrick Catholic Church and Rectory
Site of St. Patrick Catholic Church in St. Patrick, Ohio.jpg
Memorial on the site of St. Patrick's Church
St. Patrick's Catholic Church (St. Patrick, Ohio) is located in Ohio
St. Patrick's Catholic Church (St. Patrick, Ohio)
Location in Ohio
St. Patrick's Catholic Church (St. Patrick, Ohio) is located in the United States
St. Patrick's Catholic Church (St. Patrick, Ohio)
Location in the United States
Location Hoying and Wright-Puthoff Rds., St. Patrick, Ohio
Area Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built 1915
Architect Louis Ley
Architectural style Italianate
MPS Cross-Tipped Churches of Ohio TR
NRHP reference No. 79002836
Added to NRHP July 26, 1979

St. Patrick's Catholic Church was a Roman Catholic church located in a small community called St. Patrick in northwestern Shelby County, Ohio, United States. It stood at the corner of Hoying and Wright-Puthoff Roads.

A Look Back at St. Patrick's Church

St. Patrick's Catholic Church was an important building in its community for many years. It was known for its unique design compared to other churches nearby. Even though the church building is no longer there, its history tells an interesting story about the people who lived in this part of Ohio.

Early Days of the Parish

The St. Patrick church community, also known as a parish, started in 1862. Many of the first members were Irish workers. They had come to the area to help build the Miami and Erie Canal through western Shelby County. Most other people living in the region were German farmers.

Starting in 1863, priests from a group called the Missionaries of the Precious Blood served the parish. These priests came from Minster, which was about five miles away. The first church building was made of logs in 1863. This was replaced by a church made of wood frames in 1871. Later, in 1882, some members living near McCartyville started their own separate church, which meant fewer people attended St. Patrick's.

The Church Building's Design

St. Patrick's was significantly different from typical churches in
the region, such as St. Michael's Church in Fort Loramie.

By the 1910s, the old wooden church was not big enough for the community. So, the parish decided to build a new, larger church. This third and final church was made of brick and built in a style called Italianate.

The church had a strong foundation made of concrete and a roof with a pointed shape, called a gabled roof, covered in tiles. It was a rectangular building with a square bell tower on one corner. Inside, the church had beautiful paintings on the walls and ceilings, known as frescoes. There was also a large statue of Saint Patrick, who is the patron saint of Ireland. Light came into the church through many colorful stained glass windows.

What Made it Special?

St. Patrick's Church was a large church in a country area. It was connected to many other churches in western Ohio that were also served by the Society of the Precious Blood priests. This part of Ohio was settled mostly by Catholics and has many big churches in small, spread-out communities.

Most of these churches were built in the Gothic Revival style, which often has tall, pointed steeples. However, St. Patrick's was one of the newer churches that looked different. It did not have the very tall steeples seen on many Gothic Revival buildings. Because of the many large churches with cross-shaped tops in this area, the region is sometimes called the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches."

Other Buildings Around the Church

The St. Patrick parish owned four properties in the community. East of the church was the parish cemetery, where people were buried. Across Hoying Road to the north was the old parish school, built in 1906. To the east of the church was a brick building called the rectory.

The rectory was a two-story square building with a hip roof (a roof that slopes on all four sides) and a stone foundation. The parish built the rectory in 1919. It was used as a home for the church's priest. Before the rectory was built, priests from St. Michael's Church in Fort Loramie would come to serve St. Patrick's.

What Happened to the Church?

In 1977, the church and rectory were looked at by the Ohio Historic Inventory. This was done to help protect historic buildings. Both buildings were in good shape. Two years later, in 1979, they were added to the National Register of Historic Places. More than thirty other churches in the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches were also listed at this time.

When these churches were listed, people worried that some rural churches might be in danger because fewer people were attending them. While most of the other churches are still active today, St. Patrick's Church has closed. The parish was still operating in 1996, but it is no longer listed by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The church building itself has been taken down. Today, a small memorial stands where the church used to be, but the rectory building is still there.

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