St. John's Catholic Church (Delphos, Ohio)

	St. John Catholic Church
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	Southern side and front of the church
Location	110 N. Franklin St., Delphos, Ohio
Coordinates	40°50′35″N 84°20′10″W / 40.84306°N 84.33611°W
Area	2.5 acres (1.0 ha)
Built	1880
Architect	S.W. Lane
Architectural style	Romanesque Revival
NRHP reference No.	80002933
Added to NRHP	January 3, 1980

St. John's Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church of the Diocese of Toledo on the Allen County side of Delphos, Ohio, United States. Designed by S.W. Lane,^[1] it has been recognized as a historic site because of its architecture.

Parish history

St. John's Parish was established in 1842 by German Catholic settlers who had immigrated from Osnabrück.^[2] Although the church was afflicted by a cholera epidemic in 1854, it grew to the point that it was split into two parishes, with the members in Landeck being erected into a separate parish.^[3] Land was donated for the construction of the present church building by Frederick Bredeick; construction began in 1879 and concluded in the following year. As the village of Delphos grew with the Miami and Erie Canal, the parish's prosperity likewise increased;^[2] like St. Michael's Catholic Church in Shelby County to the south,^[4] the church's architecture demonstrates the wealth that came from the commerce along the canal.^[2]

Architecture

Interior

Leading features of the church's interior include a prominent rib vault, two rows of columns in the nave that are topped with Corinthian capitals, and an altar built to resemble that of Rome's Basilica di San Clemente.

Architectural experts have deemed the interior unmatched in western Ohio.^[2]

Exterior

Outside, the church's exterior is also striking. Although many large Catholic churches are located in western Ohio, they are more typically built in the Gothic Revival style^[2] – several counties in far western Ohio have been nicknamed the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches" because of the dominance of Gothic Revival churches in the region^[5] – and such a large Romanesque Revival church is unique. It fills an entire city block, and its tower is by far the most prominent part of the community's skyline; accordingly, it has been likened to a cathedral.^[2]

Recognition

In 1980, St. John's Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its architectural significance. It is the only church on the National Register in Allen County, and one of three buildings in Delphos so to be recognized.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Owen, Lorrie K., ed. Dictionary of Ohio Historic Places. Vol. 1. St. Clair Shores: Somerset, 1999, 19.
^ Rusler, William, ed. A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio. Vol. 1. Chicago and New York: American Historical Society, 1921, 292.
^ Brown, Mary Ann. Ohio Historic Inventory Nomination: St. Michael Catholic Church. Ohio Historical Society, 1977.
^ Brown, Mary Ann and Mary Niekamp. National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Cross-Tipped Churches Thematic Resources, 3/5. National Park Service, July 1978. Accessed 2010-04-28.

External links

Parish website

[nris-1] "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.

[dohp-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Owen, Lorrie K., ed. Dictionary of Ohio Historic Places. Vol. 1. St. Clair Shores: Somerset, 1999, 19.

[3] Rusler, William, ed. A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio. Vol. 1. Chicago and New York: American Historical Society, 1921, 292.

[4] Brown, Mary Ann. Ohio Historic Inventory Nomination: St. Michael Catholic Church. Ohio Historical Society, 1977.

[5] Brown, Mary Ann and Mary Niekamp. National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Cross-Tipped Churches Thematic Resources, 3/5. National Park Service, July 1978. Accessed 2010-04-28.

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v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo
Bishops	Ordinaries Joseph Schrembs Samuel Stritch Karl Joseph Alter George John Rehring John Anthony Donovan James Robert Hoffman Leonard Paul Blair Daniel Edward Thomas Auxiliaries Albert Henry Ottenweller Robert William Donnelly
Churches	List List of churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo Cathedral Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral Basilica Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation Parishes Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Bethlehem St. Michael's Ridge Church, Defiance St. John's Church, Delphos St. John the Baptist Church, Glandorf St. Peter's Church, Mansfield St. Augustine's Church, Napoleon All Saints Church, New Riegel Holy Angels Church, Sandusky St. Mary's Church, Sandusky Saints Peter and Paul Church, Sandusky Most Pure Heart Of Mary Church, Shelby St. Ann Church, Toledo St. Patrick's Church, Toledo
Higher education	Colleges & universities Lourdes University Mercy College of Ohio Former college Mary Manse College
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v t e National Register of Historic Places in Allen County, Ohio
National Historic Landmark	Miami and Erie Canal Deep Cut
Historic district	West Market Street Boulevard Historic District
Other properties	Adgate Block Allen County Courthouse Armory-Latisona Building Barr Hotel Griffith Breese Farm Beck and R.C. Cahill Buildings Dorsey Building Elks Lodge First National Bank and Trust Building Hotel Argonne Klaus Block Lima Cleaning and Pressing Company Lima Memorial Hall Lima Pennsylvania Railroad Passenger Depot Lima Stadium Linneman Building MacDonell House Marks-Family House Martin Block and Kibby Block Metropolitan Block Neal Clothing Neely-Sieber House Ohio Theatre Renz Block Round Barn St. John Catholic Church U.S. Post Office Union Block
Formerly listed	Round Barn Wheeler Building
See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Allen County, Ohio and List of National Historic Landmarks in Ohio

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