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

St. John's Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church 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.

St. John Catholic Church
Southern side and front of the church
Location110 N. Franklin St., Delphos, Ohio
Coordinates40°50′35″N 84°20′10″W
Area2.5 acres (1.0 ha)
Built1880
ArchitectS.W. Lane
Architectural styleRomanesque Revival
NRHP reference No.80002933[1]
Added to NRHPJanuary 3, 1980

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.

Church interior with Lenten decoration

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
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 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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