St. Patrick's Catholic Church (St. Patrick, Ohio)
Encyclopedia
St. Patrick's Catholic Church was a Roman Catholic church in northwestern Shelby County
, Ohio
, United States
. Located in the southwestern corner of Van Buren Township
, the church sat at the intersection of Hoying and Wright-Puthoff Roads in the unincorporated community
of St. Patrick
.
population. Although the region was settled primarily by German farmers, the members at St. Patrick were generally laborers who had been recruited to participate in the construction of the Miami and Erie Canal
through western Shelby County. Starting one year later, the parish was served by priests from the Missionaries of the Precious Blood
; these priests were based in Minster
, nearly five miles to the northwest. The parish built a log church in 1863; it was replaced by a frame
church in 1871. Members in the vicinity of McCartyville
to the northeast were created a separate parish
in 1882, weakening the original parish.
brick structure constructed in a transitional Italianate
style of architecture. This building was based on a foundation of concrete
and a gable
d tile roof; the rectangular church featured a square bell tower
on its southwestern corner. The interior featured frescoes
and a prominent statue of Saint Patrick
(the patron saint
of Ireland); it was lit by multiple windows of stained glass
. As a large church in a rural setting served by priests of the Society of the Precious Blood, St. Patrick's was closely connected to many other churches in western Ohio: wide areas of western Ohio that were primarily settled by Catholics feature large churches at sparsely-populated crossroads. While most of these churches are constructed in the Gothic Revival
style of architecture, some of the newer churches of the region — including St. Patrick's — appear in a variety of styles; St. Patrick's was one of the few that lacked the high steeples
of the Gothic Revival structures. The leading role of these churches in western Shelby County and the lands somewhat farther west has caused the region to be nicknamed the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches
."
; across Hoying Road to the north was the former parish school, built in 1906; and to the east is the brick rectory
. A square two-story structure, the rectory features a hip roof
and a stone foundation. The parish built the rectory in 1919 to house its pastor; before its construction, St. Patrick's was served by priests from St. Michael's Church in Fort Loramie
to the southwest.
; both buildings were ranked in good condition without any significant risks. Two years later, they were listed together on the National Register of Historic Places
, along with over thirty other buildings in the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches. When these churches were listed, it was feared that some rural churches were ultimately endangered by changing demographics; while all of the other churches remain active parishes, St. Patrick's has closed. While the parish was listed as being in operation in 1996, it no longer appears on the website of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
, and the church has been destroyed. A small memorial occupies the site of the church, while the rectory remains in its place.
Shelby County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,910 people, 17,636 households, and 13,085 families residing in the county. The population density was 117 people per square mile . There were 18,682 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located in the southwestern corner of Van Buren Township
Van Buren Township, Shelby County, Ohio
Van Buren Township is one of the fourteen townships of Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,599 people in the township, 1,424 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
, the church sat at the intersection of Hoying and Wright-Puthoff Roads in the unincorporated community
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
of St. Patrick
St. Patrick, Ohio
St. Patrick is an unincorporated community in southwestern Van Buren Township, Shelby County, Ohio, United States. It lies at the intersection of Hoying and Wright-Puthoff Roads, northwest of the city of Sidney, the county seat of Shelby County. Its elevation is 971 feet , and it is located...
.
Parish history
St. Patrick parish was organized in 1862 among a primarily IrishIrish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
population. Although the region was settled primarily by German farmers, the members at St. Patrick were generally laborers who had been recruited to participate in the construction of the Miami and Erie Canal
Miami and Erie Canal
The Miami and Erie Canal was a canal that connected the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio with Lake Erie in Toledo, Ohio. Construction on the canal began in 1825 and was completed in 1845. It consisted of 19 aqueducts, three guard locks, and 103 canal locks. Each lock measured by and they...
through western Shelby County. Starting one year later, the parish was served by priests from the Missionaries of the Precious Blood
Missionaries of the Precious Blood
The Missionaries of the Precious Blood form a community of priests and brothers within the Latin Church, one of the 23 sui iuris churches which make up the universal Catholic Church. The Society was founded by Saint Gaspar del Bufalo in 1815...
; these priests were based in Minster
Minster, Ohio
Minster is a village in Auglaize County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,794 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Wapakoneta, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area...
, nearly five miles to the northwest. The parish built a log church in 1863; it was replaced by a frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
church in 1871. Members in the vicinity of McCartyville
McCartyville, Ohio
McCartyville is an unincorporated community in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. Located at the junction of State Routes 29 and 119, it lies in southern Van Buren Township, south of central Kettlersville and approximately northwest of the city of Sidney, the county seat of Shelby County...
to the northeast were created a separate parish
Sacred Heart Catholic Church (McCartyville, Ohio)
Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Church in McCartyville, Ohio, United States. Founded in the late nineteenth century, it remains an active parish to the present day...
in 1882, weakening the original parish.
Architecture
By the 1910s, the old frame building had proved insufficient for the church's needs. Consequently, the parish arranged for the erection of its third and final church, a Flemish bondBrickwork
Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar to build up brick structures such as walls. Brickwork is also used to finish corners, door, and window openings, etc...
brick structure constructed in a transitional Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
style of architecture. This building was based on a foundation of concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
and a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d tile roof; the rectangular church featured a square bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
on its southwestern corner. The interior featured frescoes
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
and a prominent statue of Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints....
(the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Ireland); it was lit by multiple windows of stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
. As a large church in a rural setting served by priests of the Society of the Precious Blood, St. Patrick's was closely connected to many other churches in western Ohio: wide areas of western Ohio that were primarily settled by Catholics feature large churches at sparsely-populated crossroads. While most of these churches are constructed in the Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style of architecture, some of the newer churches of the region — including St. Patrick's — appear in a variety of styles; St. Patrick's was one of the few that lacked the high steeples
Steeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
of the Gothic Revival structures. The leading role of these churches in western Shelby County and the lands somewhat farther west has caused the region to be nicknamed the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches
Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches
The Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches is a rural region in the western part of the U.S. state of Ohio, centered near Maria Stein in Mercer County. Its name is derived from the dense concentration of large Catholic churches that dominate the area's architecture...
."
Other buildings
St. Patrick's Church was one of four properties owned by the parish in the community of St. Patrick. Located to the east of the church was the parish cemeteryCemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
; across Hoying Road to the north was the former parish school, built in 1906; and to the east is the brick rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
. A square two-story structure, the rectory features a hip roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
and a stone foundation. The parish built the rectory in 1919 to house its pastor; before its construction, St. Patrick's was served by priests from St. Michael's Church in Fort Loramie
Fort Loramie, Ohio
Fort Loramie is a village in Shelby County, Ohio, United States, along Loramie Creek. The population was 3,045 at the 2010 census. The village was founded in 1837.-History:...
to the southwest.
Recent history
In 1977, the church and rectory were recorded by the Ohio Historic Inventory for the purpose of historic preservationHistoric preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
; both buildings were ranked in good condition without any significant risks. Two years later, they were listed together on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, along with over thirty other buildings in the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches. When these churches were listed, it was feared that some rural churches were ultimately endangered by changing demographics; while all of the other churches remain active parishes, St. Patrick's has closed. While the parish was listed as being in operation in 1996, it no longer appears on the website of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati covers the southwest region of the U.S. state of Ohio, including the greater Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan areas. The Archbishop of Cincinnati is Most Rev...
, and the church has been destroyed. A small memorial occupies the site of the church, while the rectory remains in its place.