Immaculate Conception Catholic Church (Celina, Ohio)
Encyclopedia
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is a parish
of the Roman Catholic Church in Celina
, Ohio
, United States
. Founded later than many other Catholic parishes in the heavily Catholic region
of western Ohio, it owns a complex of buildings constructed in the early 20th century that have been designated historic site
s because of their architecture. Leading among them is its massive church, built in the Romanesque Revival
style just 43 years after the first Catholic moved into the city: it has been called northwestern Ohio's grandest church building.
by the 1830s; St. John the Baptist parish
in Maria Stein
and St. Rose parish
in St. Rose were established in 1837, and St. Henry parish
in St. Henry
and St. Joseph parish in St. Joe were also founded before 1840. Despite the growing Catholic presence to the south, the county seat was strongly Protestant
in its early history: when it was plat
ted in 1834, the proprietors donated lots for the use of congregations of the Baptist, Methodist
, and Presbyterian
faiths, and not a single Catholic was resident in the village for more than a quarter of a century. Beginning with Owen Gallagher in 1860, Catholics began to migrate into Celina, and starting in 1864, Mass
was celebrated biweekly in a factory owned by one of the members. At this time, no priest lived in Celina; the celebrant was typically Joseph Gregory Dwenger
, then the pastor of Holy Rosary parish
in nearby St. Marys
. A parish was formally erected in Celina in 1864 and dedicated to the Immaculate Conception
.
With the creation of the parish, more Catholics were attracted to Celina; the parish grew to the point that a church building was needed, and the Archbishop of Cincinnati
, John Baptist Purcell
, came to Celina to lay the cornerstone
on August 3, 1864. Members subscribed to the building fund throughout that year and the following; it was completed in November of 1865, and Joseph Dwenger dedicated
it on December 8, 1865. This building was a brick structure, measuring approximately 40 feet (12.2 m) by 60 feet (18.3 m); it cost $7,000 to build. However, the parish continued to grow, and a building fund for a new edifice was started in 1899. Construction of the replacement church building began in the following year, and it was dedicated in 1903 at a cost of $52,000. In the early twentieth century, it was widely considered the finest church building in all of northwestern Ohio, and decades later, its architecture still dominates all of downtown Celina.
Since the parish's earliest years, members of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood
have provided pastoral care for the members; Dwenger was a member of this society, as were the other five priests who served there in its first decade. The first priest to live in Celina was Theopistus Wittmer, who arrived in 1876; the members acquired a small frame
house to use as a rectory
. Soon after Wittmer's arrival, the parish constructed a building for their parochial school
. The structure built for this school was two stories
tall and measured approximately 40 feet (12.2 m) by 36 feet (11 m); it replaced a frame building in which the school had started in 1871. A convent
was built in 1879 to house the first of the Sisters of the Precious Blood, who came in that year to teach at the parish school; it was replaced by a larger structure in 1949, located northeast of the rest of the buildings related to the parish.
Today, Immaculate Conception continues to be an active parish in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
. It is clustered with Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Montezuma
and St. Theresa, Little Flower of Jesus parish in Rockford
; all three churches are part of the St. Marys Deanery
.
; it was designed by Andrew DeCurtins
of Lima
and built under the supervision of John Burkhart of Kenton
. A Romanesque Revival
structure erected in 1903, it is centered on a large bronze
dome. Worshippers may enter the building through its eastern end; the facade
is pierced by three large doorways and a massive rose window
. Capping the facade are two square towers; each one includes an octagonal belfry
and is topped with a smaller bronze dome. Inside, the church is heavily decorated; many of the walls feature paintings, and the altar
is distinctly Romanesque in its style. The entire building rests on a stone foundation with a basement.
Architectural historians have grouped the Precious Blood-related churches of far western Ohio into four different generations: the first, composed primarily of small log buildings from the first years of settlement until 1865; the second, composed of moderately sized brick churches built between 1865 and 1885; the third, composed mostly of large High Gothic Revival
churches with massive towers constructed from 1885 to 1905; and the fourth, composed of churches built between 1905 and 1925 in a wide range of styles. Immaculate Conception's place at the end of the third generation is significant: its Romanesque Revival style is atypical of that period and much more common in the fourth generation that would soon arise, putting it in somewhat of a transitional place between the third and fourth generations.
is a large square three-story brick house. It is the third residence to serve as the parish's rectory: members bought a frame
house near the church in 1876, and after a new school building was completed in 1889, the priest moved into the old school. In 1908, the parish spent $2,000 to buy land from John Schlosser immediately west of the church; on this land they built the present rectory for $10,000. Divided into three bays
on the front and six bays on each side, it sits on a foundation of cut stone
with a stone water table
and a basement. Individuals may enter through a large entryway on the southern front of the house or through a smaller doorway on the rear of the eastern side of the house.
Dominating the appearance of the house from the street is a large verandah
-style porch, supported by large stone columns, on the southern-facing front of the house; an enclosed porch, smaller but two stories high and supported by wooden pillars, is located on the rear portion of the house's east side. Projecting from the front of the house, above the porch, is a small wing with a gable
, semicircular window, and elaborate cornice
. The house is built in a combination of styles; it includes many Italianate
details, but its design appears to have been influenced by the architecture of the Sears Modern Homes
.
roof, it is divided into sixteen bays on each of its two sides. Among its leading architectural features are a central projection on its eastern front, the arched doorway in that projection, and ornamental panels around the entrance. The school occupies the site of an earlier school that was built in 1889; the present building was constructed because the previous structure had become too small. In its early years, the present building housed both the elementary school and the high school, which was only a three-year course for its first ten years. Because of continued growth in the high school, a new building was constructed specifically for it on the opposite side of the street. The architect for the elementary school was an unknown member of the DeCurtins family, who was related to the designer of the church building, Andrew DeCurtins. Unlike the newer building, the old elementary school remains a functioning school building. Due to falling enrollment and increasing expenses, the school was losing significant amounts of money by the late 2000s. Operating the school cost $874,243 in the 2008-2009 school year, while income was only $375,459. In 2010, the church announced that it would close the school at the end of the 2010-2011 school year unless finances improved markedly.
, designed many churches and other religious buildings in Mercer County and the surrounding region, including the area's first church built with a tall tower, St. Aloysius' Church
in Carthagena. Although Fred DeCurtins designed the church building constructed in 1937 for the new parish in the northern Mercer County village of Rockford
, architectural historians believe that Immaculate Conception High School was the last building designed by the DeCurtins family for an entity connected to the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. The school closed at the end of the 1972 school year, and by the late 1970s, the parish no longer needed its high school building; although it remained in church ownership, it was leased for use by the Celina City School District for use as a ninth-grade academy.
Three stories tall, the high school is a brick and stone building constructed on a concrete foundation with a basement and topped with a flat composite
roof. Its overall shape is that of a square, divided into thirteen bays on the front and sixteen bays on the sides. The first floor of its west-facing main facade is pierced by the large main entrance, which features an arch
ed entrance with a cross-tipped stone gable at the top. A similar entrance is present on the building's southern side. Among its most prominent architectural features are eight stone columns on the main facade, which bracket groups of five windows on each story. These columns rise to different heights, creating a distinctive vertical effect. Such a style is common among more conservative modernist architects
, who wish to combine older designs with current trends: historic elements are simplified and given a modernist style.
program run by the Ohio Historical Society
, known as the Ohio Historic Inventory. This survey found the church in excellent condition, the elementary school in fair condition, and the high school and rectory in good condition. Although no historic preservation program was in effect, no threats to historic integrity were identified for any of the buildings, except for the elementary school, which was deemed to be in danger from being outdated.
Two years later, the complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
because of the well-preserved and historically significant architecture of its buildings. At the same time, the same designation was given to more than thirty other churches and other buildings in far western Ohio that were related to the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, using the multiple property submission process. Centered around the community of Maria Stein
, the location of the Convent of Mary, Help of Christians
, this predominately Catholic region is dotted with many large Romanesque Revival or Gothic Revival
churches whose tall spire
s rise above tiny communities and can be seen from miles around. Because of the way that these churches dominate the region, the area has become known as the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches
."
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of the Roman Catholic Church in Celina
Celina, Ohio
Celina is a city in and the county seat of Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The population was 10,303 at the 2000 census. Celina is situated on the western shores of Grand Lake St. Marys.-History:...
, 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...
. Founded later than many other Catholic parishes in the heavily Catholic region
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...
of western Ohio, it owns a complex of buildings constructed in the early 20th century that have been designated 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...
s because of their architecture. Leading among them is its massive church, built in the Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style just 43 years after the first Catholic moved into the city: it has been called northwestern Ohio's grandest church building.
Parish history
Catholics were active in southern Mercer CountyMercer County, Ohio
Mercer County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. Its county seat is Celina and is named for Hugh Mercer, an officer in the American Revolutionary War.The Celina Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Mercer County.-Geography:...
by the 1830s; St. John the Baptist parish
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (Maria Stein, Ohio)
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. Located in the unincorporated community of Maria Stein, it is the home of an active congregation and has been recognized as a historic site because of its well-preserved...
in Maria Stein
Maria Stein, Ohio
Maria Stein is an unincorporated community in central Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The community and the Maria Stein Convent lie at the center of the area known as the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches, where a missionary priest, Father Francis de Sales Brunner,...
and St. Rose parish
St. Rose's Catholic Church (St. Rose, Ohio)
St. Rose's Catholic Church is a historic Catholic church in St. Rose, an unincorporated community in Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States.-Parish history:Catholics near the community of St...
in St. Rose were established in 1837, and St. Henry parish
St. Henry's Catholic Church (St. Henry, Ohio)
St. Henry's Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in St. Henry, Ohio, United States. Built in the late nineteenth century, it remains the home of a functioning congregation, and it has been recognized as a historically significant building because of its architecture.-Early...
in St. Henry
St. Henry, Ohio
St. Henry is a village in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,271 at the 2000 census.-History:Located at the center of the village is St. Henry's Catholic Church. Completed in 1897, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-Geography:St. Henry is located at...
and St. Joseph parish in St. Joe were also founded before 1840. Despite the growing Catholic presence to the south, the county seat was strongly Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
in its early history: when it was plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted in 1834, the proprietors donated lots for the use of congregations of the Baptist, Methodist
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
, and Presbyterian
Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America was a Presbyterian denomination in the United States. It was organized in 1789 under the leadership of John Witherspoon in the wake of the American Revolution and existed until 1958 when it merged with the United Presbyterian Church of North...
faiths, and not a single Catholic was resident in the village for more than a quarter of a century. Beginning with Owen Gallagher in 1860, Catholics began to migrate into Celina, and starting in 1864, Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
was celebrated biweekly in a factory owned by one of the members. At this time, no priest lived in Celina; the celebrant was typically Joseph Gregory Dwenger
Joseph Gregory Dwenger
Joseph Gregory Dwenger was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Fort Wayne .Dwenger was born near Minster, Ohio, in 1837. Orphaned at an early age, he was educated by the Fathers of the Precious Blood, entered their community, and was ordained priest 4 September 1859...
, then the pastor of Holy Rosary parish
Holy Rosary Catholic Church (St. Marys, Ohio)
Holy Rosary Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish on the east side of St. Marys, Ohio, United States. Established in 1852, the church has been recognized for its historic 1860s church building, which was demolished amid a period of growth in the 1970s and replaced with a modern...
in nearby St. Marys
St. Marys, Ohio
St. Marys is a city in Auglaize County, Ohio, United States. The population was 8,342 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Wapakoneta, Ohio, Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. A parish was formally erected in Celina in 1864 and dedicated to the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
.
With the creation of the parish, more Catholics were attracted to Celina; the parish grew to the point that a church building was needed, and the Archbishop 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...
, John Baptist Purcell
John Baptist Purcell
John Baptist Purcell was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Cincinnati from 1833 until his death in 1883, and was elevated to the rank of Archbishop in 1850.-Biography:...
, came to Celina to lay the cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
on August 3, 1864. Members subscribed to the building fund throughout that year and the following; it was completed in November of 1865, and Joseph Dwenger dedicated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
it on December 8, 1865. This building was a brick structure, measuring approximately 40 feet (12.2 m) by 60 feet (18.3 m); it cost $7,000 to build. However, the parish continued to grow, and a building fund for a new edifice was started in 1899. Construction of the replacement church building began in the following year, and it was dedicated in 1903 at a cost of $52,000. In the early twentieth century, it was widely considered the finest church building in all of northwestern Ohio, and decades later, its architecture still dominates all of downtown Celina.
Since the parish's earliest years, members 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...
have provided pastoral care for the members; Dwenger was a member of this society, as were the other five priests who served there in its first decade. The first priest to live in Celina was Theopistus Wittmer, who arrived in 1876; the members acquired a small 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...
house to use as a 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...
. Soon after Wittmer's arrival, the parish constructed a building for their parochial school
Catholic schools in the United States
Catholic schools in the United States are accredited by independent and/or state agencies, and teachers are generally certified. Catholic schools are supported through tuition payments and fund raising.-Operation:...
. The structure built for this school was two stories
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
tall and measured approximately 40 feet (12.2 m) by 36 feet (11 m); it replaced a frame building in which the school had started in 1871. A convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
was built in 1879 to house the first of the Sisters of the Precious Blood, who came in that year to teach at the parish school; it was replaced by a larger structure in 1949, located northeast of the rest of the buildings related to the parish.
Today, Immaculate Conception continues to be an active parish in 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...
. It is clustered with Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Montezuma
Montezuma, Ohio
Montezuma is a village in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The population was 191 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Montezuma is located at ....
and St. Theresa, Little Flower of Jesus parish in Rockford
Rockford, Ohio
Rockford is a village in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,126 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rockford is located at ....
; all three churches are part of the St. Marys 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 :...
.
Church
The church itself is a large brick building constructed in the shape of a Greek crossCross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
; it was designed by Andrew DeCurtins
DeCurtins
The DeCurtins family, sometimes written De Curtins, were involved in Midwestern U.S. church architecture. Anton De Curtins was a Swiss immigrant who lived in Carthagena, Ohio and designed several Gothic architecture churches in Mercer County, Ohio, as well as rectories, schools and residences...
of Lima
Lima, Ohio
Lima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
and built under the supervision of John Burkhart of Kenton
Kenton, Ohio
Kenton is a city in and the county seat of Hardin County, Ohio, United States, along the Scioto River. The population was 8,262 at the 2010 census. It is named for Kentucky/Ohio frontiersman, Simon Kenton...
. A Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
structure erected in 1903, it is centered on a large bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
dome. Worshippers may enter the building through its eastern end; the facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
is pierced by three large doorways and a massive rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
. Capping the facade are two square towers; each one includes an octagonal belfry
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...
and is topped with a smaller bronze dome. Inside, the church is heavily decorated; many of the walls feature paintings, and the altar
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:...
is distinctly Romanesque in its style. The entire building rests on a stone foundation with a basement.
Architectural historians have grouped the Precious Blood-related churches of far western Ohio into four different generations: the first, composed primarily of small log buildings from the first years of settlement until 1865; the second, composed of moderately sized brick churches built between 1865 and 1885; the third, composed mostly of large High Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
churches with massive towers constructed from 1885 to 1905; and the fourth, composed of churches built between 1905 and 1925 in a wide range of styles. Immaculate Conception's place at the end of the third generation is significant: its Romanesque Revival style is atypical of that period and much more common in the fourth generation that would soon arise, putting it in somewhat of a transitional place between the third and fourth generations.
Rectory
Located immediately west of the church, the Immaculate Conception 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...
is a large square three-story brick house. It is the third residence to serve as the parish's rectory: members bought 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...
house near the church in 1876, and after a new school building was completed in 1889, the priest moved into the old school. In 1908, the parish spent $2,000 to buy land from John Schlosser immediately west of the church; on this land they built the present rectory for $10,000. Divided into three bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
on the front and six bays on each side, it sits on a foundation of cut stone
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
with a stone water table
Water table (architecture)
A water table is a masonry architectural feature that consists of a projecting course that deflects water running down the face of a building away from lower courses or the foundation...
and a basement. Individuals may enter through a large entryway on the southern front of the house or through a smaller doorway on the rear of the eastern side of the house.
Dominating the appearance of the house from the street is a large verandah
Verandah
A veranda or verandah is a roofed opened gallery or porch. It is also described as an open pillared gallery, generally roofed, built around a central structure...
-style porch, supported by large stone columns, on the southern-facing front of the house; an enclosed porch, smaller but two stories high and supported by wooden pillars, is located on the rear portion of the house's east side. Projecting from the front of the house, above the porch, is a small wing with 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...
, semicircular window, and elaborate cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
. The house is built in a combination of styles; it includes many 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...
details, but its design appears to have been influenced by the architecture of the Sears Modern Homes
Sears Catalog Home
Sears Catalog Homes were ready-to-assemble kit houses sold through mail order by Sears, Roebuck and Company, an American retailer. Over 70,000 of these were sold in North America between 1908 and 1940. Shipped via railroad boxcars, these kits included all the materials needed to build a house...
.
Elementary school
Sitting immediately north of the church is the Immaculate Conception Elementary School, which was erected in 1918 at a cost of $70,000. Two stories tall and built of brick with a flat asphaltAsphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
roof, it is divided into sixteen bays on each of its two sides. Among its leading architectural features are a central projection on its eastern front, the arched doorway in that projection, and ornamental panels around the entrance. The school occupies the site of an earlier school that was built in 1889; the present building was constructed because the previous structure had become too small. In its early years, the present building housed both the elementary school and the high school, which was only a three-year course for its first ten years. Because of continued growth in the high school, a new building was constructed specifically for it on the opposite side of the street. The architect for the elementary school was an unknown member of the DeCurtins family, who was related to the designer of the church building, Andrew DeCurtins. Unlike the newer building, the old elementary school remains a functioning school building. Due to falling enrollment and increasing expenses, the school was losing significant amounts of money by the late 2000s. Operating the school cost $874,243 in the 2008-2009 school year, while income was only $375,459. In 2010, the church announced that it would close the school at the end of the 2010-2011 school year unless finances improved markedly.
High school
Located on the eastern side of Walnut Street across from the other buildings of the church complex, the former Immaculate Conception High School was built in 1933 under the supervision of William and Joseph Forsthoff. The building was designed by Fred DeCurtins, a relative of the architect who designed the church building, and the nephew of the architect who designed the elementary school. Members of the DeCurtins family, who lived primarily in the community of CarthagenaCarthagena, Ohio
Carthagena is an unincorporated community in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. It has an elevation of and is located at .The Saint Charles Center, originally Saint Charles Seminary, operated by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood is located in Carthagena.Carthagena is named after Cartagena,...
, designed many churches and other religious buildings in Mercer County and the surrounding region, including the area's first church built with a tall tower, St. Aloysius' Church
St. Aloysius' Catholic Church (Carthagena, Ohio)
St. Aloysius' Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Carthagena, an unincorporated community in Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States...
in Carthagena. Although Fred DeCurtins designed the church building constructed in 1937 for the new parish in the northern Mercer County village of Rockford
Rockford, Ohio
Rockford is a village in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,126 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rockford is located at ....
, architectural historians believe that Immaculate Conception High School was the last building designed by the DeCurtins family for an entity connected to the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. The school closed at the end of the 1972 school year, and by the late 1970s, the parish no longer needed its high school building; although it remained in church ownership, it was leased for use by the Celina City School District for use as a ninth-grade academy.
Three stories tall, the high school is a brick and stone building constructed on a concrete foundation with a basement and topped with a flat composite
Composite material
Composite materials, often shortened to composites or called composition materials, are engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or...
roof. Its overall shape is that of a square, divided into thirteen bays on the front and sixteen bays on the sides. The first floor of its west-facing main facade is pierced by the large main entrance, which features an arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
ed entrance with a cross-tipped stone gable at the top. A similar entrance is present on the building's southern side. Among its most prominent architectural features are eight stone columns on the main facade, which bracket groups of five windows on each story. These columns rise to different heights, creating a distinctive vertical effect. Such a style is common among more conservative modernist architects
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
, who wish to combine older designs with current trends: historic elements are simplified and given a modernist style.
Recognition
In 1977, the church, rectory, and schools were recorded by a historic preservationHistoric preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
program run by the Ohio Historical Society
Ohio Historical Society
The Ohio Historical Society is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1885 as The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society "to promote a knowledge of archaeology and history, especially in Ohio"...
, known as the Ohio Historic Inventory. This survey found the church in excellent condition, the elementary school in fair condition, and the high school and rectory in good condition. Although no historic preservation program was in effect, no threats to historic integrity were identified for any of the buildings, except for the elementary school, which was deemed to be in danger from being outdated.
Two years later, the complex was listed 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...
because of the well-preserved and historically significant architecture of its buildings. At the same time, the same designation was given to more than thirty other churches and other buildings in far western Ohio that were related to the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, using the multiple property submission process. Centered around the community of Maria Stein
Maria Stein, Ohio
Maria Stein is an unincorporated community in central Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The community and the Maria Stein Convent lie at the center of the area known as the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches, where a missionary priest, Father Francis de Sales Brunner,...
, the location of the Convent of Mary, Help of Christians
Shrine of the Holy Relics
The Shrine of the Holy Relics in Maria Stein, Ohio is the second largest collection of relics in the United States. It is a part of the historic Maria Stein Convent.-History:...
, this predominately Catholic region is dotted with many large Romanesque Revival or Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
churches whose tall spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
s rise above tiny communities and can be seen from miles around. Because of the way that these churches dominate the region, the area has become known as 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...
."