St. Raphael's Catholic Church (Springfield, Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Raphael Church
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Primary tower of the church, seen from the west-northwest
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 225 E. High St., Springfield, Ohio |
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| Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1892 |
| Architect | Charles A. Cregar |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 76001381 |
| Added to NRHP | June 22, 1976 |
St. Raphael's Church is an old and important Catholic church in Springfield, Ohio. It was the first Catholic church built in Springfield, starting in the 1840s. The church building has a special style called Gothic Revival. Its tall towers are a famous part of the city's skyline. Because of its unique design by a famous architect, it's now a protected historic site.
Contents
The Church's Early Days
The first Catholic families moved to Springfield around 1835. By 1845, there were almost seventy Catholic families living there. At first, a priest named Henry Damian Juncker visited them once or twice a month. Church services were held in people's homes or other buildings.
In 1840, James F. Kearney became the first full-time priest. He had to leave after a year because he got sick. The church members bought land in 1848. The parish was officially started in 1849 and named after St. Raphael.
A rich person from Cincinnati, Michael Cassily, helped the church get money. With his help, they built the foundation for their first church building. Over the next 25 years, many different priests served the church. By the late 1860s, the church had grown a lot. An assistant pastor was needed in 1868. Two other Catholic churches, St. Bernard and St. Joseph, were also started in Springfield.
Building a New Church
When W.H. Sidley became the pastor in 1873, the church buildings were very small. There was a small brick church, a tiny wooden school, and no house for the priest. He quickly arranged for a new house for the priest, which was finished in 1874.
Two years later, he started building a bigger school. This new school was three stories tall. It was finished in September 1877. By the early 1890s, the church building itself was too small. So, in 1892, the old brick church was taken down.
It took six years to build the new, much larger church. The new St. Raphael's Church was officially opened on July 17, 1898. The Archbishop of Cincinnati, William Henry Elder, led the special ceremony.
A Voice for Change: Daniel Rudd
Daniel Rudd was an important African-American newspaperman. He attended St. Raphael's when he was in high school. In 1886, he started the first Black Catholic Newspaper called "American Catholic Tribune."
An Ohio Historical Marker was put up on December 12, 2021. It honors Daniel Rudd and his important work.
A Time of Growth and Challenges
In the 1920s, St. Raphael's Church was doing very well. In 1923, the church gave $10,000 to help a seminary (a school for priests). This was a big amount of money at the time. The church also helped support Springfield Central Catholic High School. This school was for students from all the Catholic churches in the city.
During this time, there was also a group called the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in Springfield. They were known for being against certain groups of people, including Catholics. One time, the KKK planned to march past St. Raphael's Church. But the priest stood in front of the parade, blocking their way. The KKK members then turned around and went a different way.
Amazing Architecture
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St. Raphael's is a tall Gothic Revival building. It is made from sandstone from Berea, Ohio. Since it was built in the 1890s, it has been one of Springfield's most unique buildings. This is because of its two tall front towers. The bell tower is about 135 feet (41 meters) high. The main tower is even taller, at about 184 feet (56 meters). If you climb 156 steps to the top of the main tower, you can see a wide view of the city and the land around it.
The church is shaped like a Latin cross. It has three main entrances at the front. There are tall, narrow windows called lancet windows in the towers. The sides of the church have two-story windows. The largest windows are at the back sides and above the entrances. Both towers have pointed roofs. The main part of the church also has a steep, pointed roof.
The building has many Gothic Revival details, like pointed-arch windows and doorways. But it also has some features from the Romanesque Revival style. These include false buttresses (supports) and columns around the main entrance. The towers also look very solid and strong.
The church cost about $75,000 to build. The architect for St. Raphael's was Charles A. Cregar. He was a very important architect from Springfield. Cregar designed many grand buildings in the city, including the old City Hall. St. Raphael's is one of his best works.
Today's Church
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St. Raphael's is still an active part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati. However, it is no longer a separate parish on its own. St. Joseph's and St. Raphael'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 June 1976. This was because of its important and beautiful architecture. St. Raphael's is one of six buildings designed by Charles A. Cregar that are on the National Register. Other buildings include the old city hall, St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, the old Arcade Hotel, St. Joseph's Church, and the old Third Presbyterian Church.
Images for kids
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Primary tower of the church, seen from the west-northwest
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This Gothic stained glass window from the church apse shows the Crucifixion of Jesus.
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The church nave (main seating area).
