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 Catholic Church is a really old and beautiful Catholic church in Russia, Ohio, United States. It was built way back in 1890 and is still a busy church today. People know it as a special historic site because of its amazing design.

The Church's Story

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

In 1823, French-speaking Catholic families started settling in parts of Shelby and Darke Counties in Ohio. At first, a traveling priest helped them with their religious needs.

How the Parish Began

In 1839, these settlers formed their own church group, called a parish. They named it after St. Valbert. Their first church building was about three miles northeast of Versailles. In the 1840s, priests and nuns from the Society of the Precious Blood came to western Ohio. St. Valbert's became an important church for them.

In 1846, the St. Valbert's parish split into three groups. Some members joined Holy Family parish to the west. Others became part of St. Remy parish to the southeast. The remaining St. Valbert's members built a new church in Versailles in 1864. This new church was then named after 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 by 1859. 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 Russian steppes. So, they named the village "Russia."

The members of St. Remy's built their first church in the new village in 1854. It was made of logs and was officially opened by Archbishop John Baptist Purcell on June 15, 1854. As more people joined, they needed a bigger church. A large brick church was built in 1869. But even this church became too small as the number of churchgoers grew. So, the third and current church building was built in 1890.

Church Design and Style

Inside the church

St. Remy's Church is mostly built in the Romanesque Revival style. This style often uses round arches and strong, thick walls. However, its tall tower looks more like the Gothic Revival style, which has pointed arches and tall, slender designs.

In the early 1900s, people thought St. Remy's was one of the most beautiful churches in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It was also seen as a great example of Romanesque Revival architecture. The church sits on a strong stone foundation with a basement. Its walls are made of sandblasted brick and rise to several pointed roof sections called gables. A slate roof covers the top. Inside, many colorful stained glass windows let in light along both sides.

Over the years, the church has been changed. In 1954 and 1976, big changes were made. A vestibule (an entrance hall) was added to the front, covering up the original front of the church. Also, the original altars and statues inside were either removed or changed a lot.

Church Styles in Western Ohio

Experts who study old buildings have grouped the churches built by the Precious Blood missionaries in western Ohio into four types, or "generations."

• The first generation churches were usually small log buildings. Most of these are gone now.
• The second generation churches were generally small and simple brick buildings.
• The third generation churches were often large Gothic Revival buildings with lots of fancy decorations.
• The fourth generation churches showed 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 churches (between 1885 and 1905).

What Happened Recently

In 1977, a study of the church's architecture found that the outside of the building was in good shape. However, the inside was at risk because of the changes that had been made.

In 1979, St. Remy's Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of places in the United States that are important for their history or architecture. It was recognized for its special architectural design. At the same time, 32 other properties, including 25 other churches, were also added to the National Register. These were all part of a larger group of buildings in western Ohio connected to the Missionaries of the Precious Blood.

Many of these churches have tall, Gothic Revival towers. Because of these towers, this part of western Ohio is sometimes called the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches."

Today, St. Remy is still a busy and active church parish in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.