St. Remy's Catholic Church facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
St. Remy Catholic Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Front and side of the church
Location in Ohio Show map of Ohio Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Main St. and Russia-Versailles Rd.
Nearest city	Russia, Ohio
Area	less than one acre
Built	1890
Architectural style	Romanesque Revival
MPS	Cross-Tipped Churches of Ohio TR
NRHP reference No.	79002834
Added to NRHP	July 26, 1979

St. Remy's Catholic Church is an old and beautiful church located in Russia, Ohio, United States. It was built in 1890 and is still a busy church today. People think it's special because of its unique design, which is why it's listed as a historic place.

The Church's Early Days

A window from the church shows Saint Remy baptizing Clovis I.

In 1823, French-speaking Catholic families started settling in this part of Ohio. At first, a traveling priest named Father Navarron helped them with their religious needs.

Later, in 1839, a church community was officially formed and named after St. Valbert. Their first church building was about three miles northeast of Versailles.

How St. Remy's Parish Started

In the 1840s, priests and nuns from the Missionaries of the Precious Blood religious group came to western Ohio. St. Valbert's church became very important to them.

In 1846, the large St. Valbert's community split into three smaller groups. Some members went to the Holy Family parish, others joined the St. Remy parish, and the rest stayed at St. Valbert's. The St. Valbert's group built a new church in Versailles in 1864 and renamed it St. Denis.

Building the Church in Russia

The first person to settle in the village of Russia built his home in 1853. Many more settlers followed him. A lot of these early settlers came from the Russian Empire. When they first saw the area in winter, it reminded them of the wide, flat lands of Russia, so they named the village "Russia."

The people of St. Remy's built their first church in the new village in 1854. It was made of logs and officially opened on June 15, 1854. As more people joined the church, they needed a bigger building. So, a large brick church was built in 1869. But even that church became too small! That's why the third and current church, the one you see today, was built in 1890.

Church Design and Style

Inside the church, looking from the back balcony.

St. Remy's Church is mostly built in the Romanesque Revival style. This style often uses round arches and strong, thick walls, like old Roman buildings. However, its tall tower has a different look, called Gothic Revival, which uses pointed arches and tall, slender shapes.

In the early 1900s, people thought St. Remy's was one of the most beautiful churches in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. They also said it was a great example of Romanesque Revival architecture.

What the Church is Made Of

The church sits on a strong stone foundation with a basement. Its walls are made of sandblasted brick and rise up to several pointed roof sections called gables. The roof itself is made of slate, a type of rock that splits into thin sheets.

Inside, many colorful stained glass windows let light shine in along both sides of the church. Over the years, the church has been changed a bit. In 1954 and 1976, a small entrance area called a vestibule was added to the front, covering up the original main entrance. Also, some of the old altars (the tables where religious services are held) and statues were changed or removed.

Different Styles of Churches

Experts who study church buildings have grouped the churches in western Ohio, especially those connected to the Precious Blood group, into different "generations" based on when and how they were built.

• The first churches were usually small log cabins and most are gone now.
• The second group of churches were simple brick buildings.
• The third group, built between 1885 and 1905, were often large Gothic Revival churches with lots of fancy decorations.
• The fourth group shows many different styles, like Italianate and Romanesque Revival.

Even though St. Remy's is mostly Romanesque Revival, it was built during the time of the "third generation" of churches.

St. Remy's Today

In 1977, a study of the church's architecture found that the outside of the building was in good shape. However, the inside had been changed quite a bit.

In 1979, St. Remy's Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historic building because of its special architecture. At the same time, 32 other buildings in western Ohio, including 25 other churches, were also added to the National Register. Many of these churches have tall, Gothic Revival towers. Because of these unique towers, this area of western Ohio is sometimes called the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches."

Today, St. Remy's is still a very active church community within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.