St. Paul's Reformed Church (Navarre, Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Paul's Reformed Church
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Front and side of the church
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 9669 Erie Ave., SW, Navarre, Ohio |
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| Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
| Built | 1913 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 06000318 |
| Added to NRHP | April 26, 2006 |
St. Paul's Reformed Church is an old church building near Navarre in Stark County, Ohio, United States. It used to be home to a church group called the Evangelical and Reformed Church. This group started in the 1830s and was active until the 1990s. Even though the church group is no longer active, the building from the early 1900s is still standing. It has been recognized as an important historic site.
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History of St. Paul's Church
A German Reformed church group was active in the area of Bethlehem Township as early as the 1810s. St. Paul's Church itself was officially started in 1835.
The first church building was built in 1845. It stood for almost seventy years. Sadly, it burned down in 1913. After the fire, the church we see today was built in the same spot.
What the Church Looks Like
The church building is designed in the Gothic Revival style. It is made of brick, and its roof is covered with a material called stucco. The church sits on a strong base made of brick and concrete.
The building is on top of a small hill. There are stairs leading up to it from both the side and the front. The main entrance is part of a square tower. This tower has tall, narrow windows called lancet windows on its second floor.
The main part of the building is shaped like a rectangle and has a pointed roof called a gable. The outside walls have brick supports called buttresses. These supports divide the walls into different sections, some wider than others. The wider sections have large, pointed windows called ogive windows and smaller rectangular windows.
The Church and its Community
In the early 1900s, St. Paul's Church was a very important place for the small community of Smoketown. It was the social center, and hundreds of people were members of the church.
Over time, both the community and the church became much smaller. All the businesses in Smoketown have closed. Even though the church group was active into the 1990s, it is no longer holding regular services.
By the late 2000s, only one former member was still helping out. This person used both church money and their own money to keep the building in good repair. The building is not used for regular church services anymore, but it is sometimes used for weddings. The church's cemetery is also still taken care of by the township.
A Historic Landmark
In 2006, St. Paul's Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as a very important historic place. It qualified for this honor because of its special and important architecture.
St. Paul's Church is one of four places near Navarre that are listed on the National Register. The others are the Loew-Define Grocery Store and Home, the Rochester Square Historic District, and the Stahl-Hoagland House.
