Holy Family Catholic Church (Frenchtown, Ohio)
Encyclopedia
Holy Family Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Wayne Township
, Darke County
, Ohio
, United States
. Located in the unincorporated community
of Frenchtown
, it houses an active congregation, and it has been accorded historic site
status because of its well-preserved Gothic Revival architecture
.
were predominantly French
. The first parish
in the region encompassed the areas now divided between St. Denis Parish in Versailles
, St. Remy Parish
in Russia
, and Holy Family Parish. This parish, originally known as St. Valbert's Church, was organized among these French settlers in 1839, with its church located 3 miles (4.8 km) northeast of Versailles
; it was a mother church of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood
, who were beginning to minister to the Catholic population of the region at this time. In 1846, St. Remy and Holy Family parishes were created as separate parishes, while St. Valbert relocated to Versailles and was rededicated to St. Denis in 1864.
Members of Holy Family Church quickly began to organize their congregation, completing a log church by the end of 1846; after it burned in 1848, another log church was built. At the same time, the members of St. Remy's Church were beginning to build a church, and competition began to arise between the two parishes. Ultimately, a wager was agreed upon of two gallons of whisky
, to be given to the first parish to lay the log foundation for their churches; Holy Family won the prize. As more French settlers continued to arrive in the 1850s and early 1860s, the church became too small, and the members decided to erect a larger brick structure.
style. Its gable
d roof is topped with a bell tower
; the walls are of brick painted white, and the building rests on a stone foundation without a basement. Most of the exterior remains little changed from its original format, although the entrance has been hidden by the addition of a small structure in 1964. The interior has been changed more substantially than the exterior; the original elaborate altars
and statues have been removed, and the original baptistery
and sacristy
have been replaced by a new baptistery and sacristy in the 1964 addition. Still present is the interior lighting from the original lancet window
s of stained glass
, each inscribed with the name of the individuals who paid for the window.
Architectural historians have divided the Precious Blood-related churches of western Ohio into multiple generations. Only a few buildings remain from the first generation, which consisted primarily of small wooden churches, and only St. John's Church in Fryburg remains essentially unchanged. Replacing these wooden buildings were the churches of the second generation, which were generally small brick buildings without tall spires. Holy Family's simple rectangular plan and small bell tower makes it a fine example of the churches of the second generation.
for their pastor in 1850. It was replaced by a larger brick structure in the 1880s; it lies on the northern side of Burns Road, directly across from the church. A more recent parish hall
is located on the southern side of the road to the west of the church. A church cemetery
, small but heavily used, lies immediately to the south and east of the church. Founded before the establishment of the parish, the cemetery includes burials as old as 1842; it is officially known as the "Frenchtown Cemetery," although it has also been known as the "Holy Family Cemetery."
. Thirty-two other properties, including twenty-five other churches, were listed on the National Register at the same time as part of a multiple property submission of properties in western Ohio related to the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. Among these thirty-two other buildings were St. Remy's Church in Russia and two other churches in northeastern Darke County. The tall towers and Gothic Revival architecture
of many of these churches has caused this region of western Ohio to be nicknamed the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches
."
Today, Holy Family is an active parish of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It is clustered with Immaculate Conception Parish in Bradford
, St. Denis Parish in Versailles, and St. Mary Parish in Greenville
. The entire cluster is a part of the Sidney Deanery
.
Wayne Township, Darke County, Ohio
Wayne Township is one of the twenty townships of Darke County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 4,349 people in the township, 1,760 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
, Darke County
Darke County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 53,309 people, 20,419 households, and 14,905 families residing in the county. The population density was 89 people per square mile . There were 21,583 housing units at an average density of 36 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 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 Frenchtown
Frenchtown, Ohio
Frenchtown is an unincorporated community in Wayne Township, Darke County, Ohio, United States. The community lies at the intersection of State Route 185 with Burns and Mangen Roads, approximately northwest of the village of Versailles...
, it houses an active congregation, and it has been accorded historic site
Historic site
A historic site is an official location where pieces of political, military or social history have been preserved. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have recognized with the official national historic site status...
status because of its well-preserved Gothic Revival architecture
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
.
Parish history
The first settlers of northeastern Darke County and southwestern Shelby CountyShelby 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...
were predominantly French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
. The first parish
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
in the region encompassed the areas now divided between St. Denis Parish in Versailles
Versailles, Ohio
Versailles is a village in Darke County, Ohio, United States. It is the only village in Wayne Township. The population was 2,589 at the 2000 census. The proper local pronunciation of the name is "Ver Sales", with the accent on the second syllable.-History:...
, St. Remy Parish
St. Remy's Catholic Church
St. Remy's Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Russia, Ohio, United States. Built in 1890, it continues to house an active parish, and it has been recognized as a historic site because of its architecture.-Parish history:...
in Russia
Russia, Ohio
Russia is a village in Loramie Township, Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 551 at the 2000 census.-History:Russia was founded by Lewis Phillips, who purchased and platted the land where the village now sits. Phillips' house, built in 1853, was the first house in Russia; other...
, and Holy Family Parish. This parish, originally known as St. Valbert's Church, was organized among these French settlers in 1839, with its church located 3 miles (4.8 km) northeast of Versailles
Versailles, Ohio
Versailles is a village in Darke County, Ohio, United States. It is the only village in Wayne Township. The population was 2,589 at the 2000 census. The proper local pronunciation of the name is "Ver Sales", with the accent on the second syllable.-History:...
; it was a mother church of 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...
, who were beginning to minister to the Catholic population of the region at this time. In 1846, St. Remy and Holy Family parishes were created as separate parishes, while St. Valbert relocated to Versailles and was rededicated to St. Denis in 1864.
Members of Holy Family Church quickly began to organize their congregation, completing a log church by the end of 1846; after it burned in 1848, another log church was built. At the same time, the members of St. Remy's Church were beginning to build a church, and competition began to arise between the two parishes. Ultimately, a wager was agreed upon of two gallons of whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
, to be given to the first parish to lay the log foundation for their churches; Holy Family won the prize. As more French settlers continued to arrive in the 1850s and early 1860s, the church became too small, and the members decided to erect a larger brick structure.
Architecture
The present Holy Family Church was completed in 1866 in the Gothic RevivalGothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style. Its 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 roof is topped with a 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...
; the walls are of brick painted white, and the building rests on a stone foundation without a basement. Most of the exterior remains little changed from its original format, although the entrance has been hidden by the addition of a small structure in 1964. The interior has been changed more substantially than the exterior; the original elaborate altars
Altar (Catholicism)
In the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church, the altar is where the Sacrifice of the Mass is offered. Mass may sometimes be celebrated outside a sacred place, but never without an altar, or at least an altar stone.-Precedent:...
and statues have been removed, and the original baptistery
Baptistery
In Christian architecture the baptistry or baptistery is the separate centrally-planned structure surrounding the baptismal font. The baptistry may be incorporated within the body of a church or cathedral and be provided with an altar as a chapel...
and sacristy
Sacristy
A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.The sacristy is usually located inside the church, but in some cases it is an annex or separate building...
have been replaced by a new baptistery and sacristy in the 1964 addition. Still present is the interior lighting from the original lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s 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...
, each inscribed with the name of the individuals who paid for the window.
Architectural historians have divided the Precious Blood-related churches of western Ohio into multiple generations. Only a few buildings remain from the first generation, which consisted primarily of small wooden churches, and only St. John's Church in Fryburg remains essentially unchanged. Replacing these wooden buildings were the churches of the second generation, which were generally small brick buildings without tall spires. Holy Family's simple rectangular plan and small bell tower makes it a fine example of the churches of the second generation.
Related properties
Located on the southwestern corner of Frenchtown's primary intersection, that of Burns Road and State Route 185, the church is partially surrounded by other properties associated with the parish. Members of Holy Family Church first built a rectoryRectory
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...
for their pastor in 1850. It was replaced by a larger brick structure in the 1880s; it lies on the northern side of Burns Road, directly across from the church. A more recent parish hall
Church hall
A church hall is a room or building associated with a church, general for community and charitable use . It is normally located near the church, typically in smaller and village communities. Activities in the hall are not necessarily religious, but are typically an important part of local community...
is located on the southern side of the road to the west of the church. A church cemetery
Cemetery
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...
, small but heavily used, lies immediately to the south and east of the church. Founded before the establishment of the parish, the cemetery includes burials as old as 1842; it is officially known as the "Frenchtown Cemetery," although it has also been known as the "Holy Family Cemetery."
Recent history
A 1977 architectural survey ranked the church's exterior in good condition; its interior was only noted as "modified." In 1979, Holy Family Catholic Church was listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational 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...
. Thirty-two other properties, including twenty-five other churches, were listed on the National Register at the same time as part of a multiple property submission of properties in western Ohio related to the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. Among these thirty-two other buildings were St. Remy's Church in Russia and two other churches in northeastern Darke County. The tall towers and Gothic Revival architecture
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
of many of these churches has caused this region of western Ohio 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...
."
Today, Holy Family is an active parish of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It is clustered with Immaculate Conception Parish in Bradford
Bradford, Ohio
Bradford is a village in Darke and Miami counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 1,859 at the 2000 census.The Miami County portion of Bradford is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Darke County portion is part of the Greenville Metropolitan Statistical...
, St. Denis Parish in Versailles, and St. Mary Parish in Greenville
Greenville, Ohio
Greenville is a city in Darke County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,227 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Darke County.-History:Greenville is the historic location of Fort Greene Ville,Greenville is a city in Darke County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,227 at...
. The entire cluster is a part of the Sidney Deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
.