Minster Elementary School
Encyclopedia
The Minster Elementary School is a historic Catholic school
building in Minster
, Ohio
, United States
. Built in the early twentieth century, it has been recognized as a historic site
.
style, the school is an ornate two-and-one-half-story
brick building, built on a stone foundation. Among its most distinctive features are a three-story tower in the center of the facade, ornamented brackets
under the cornice
s of the corners, and dormer windows
in the roof. The elementary school is related to St. Augustine's Catholic Church, which lies on the same property.
and surrounding regions placed great value on the education of their children. These predominantly Catholic people founded many schools in connection with their churches, several of which are still in existence. Although some of these schools — generally the older buildings — are small structures, several are larger and architecturally distinctive buildings; among this latter category are the schools at Minster, St. Henry
, and Wapakoneta
. A parish school was first established at Minster in 1867; as St. Theresa's School for Girls, it was partially meant to instruct girls who planned to enter the adjacent convent
. This convent (now destroyed) was significant to the ecclesiastical position of St. Augustine's as one of the three mother churches of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood
in western Ohio. Today, St. Augustine's is the only remaining one of these three — SS. Peter's and Paul's Church at Petersburg and St. Valbert's Church at St. Valbert have both been abandoned, and only their cemeteries remain.
because of its well-preserved historic architecture. More than thirty other buildings, including St. Augustine's Church and eight other schools, were added to the Register at the same time as part of the "Cross-Tipped Churches of Ohio Thematic Resources." This group of buildings qualified for inclusion on the Register primarily because their historic architecture represented their connections to the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. Because many of these buildings are churches with tall Gothic Revival
towers, the region has come to be known as the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches
."
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
building 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...
, 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...
. Built in the early twentieth century, it has been recognized as a 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...
.
Architecture
Completed in 1906 in a modified version of the ItalianateItalianate 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, the school is an ornate two-and-one-half-story
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
brick building, built on a stone foundation. Among its most distinctive features are a three-story tower in the center of the facade, ornamented brackets
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
under the 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...
s of the corners, and dormer windows
Dormer
A dormer is a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows.Often...
in the roof. The elementary school is related to St. Augustine's Catholic Church, which lies on the same property.
Historic context
The early settlers of southwestern Auglaize CountyAuglaize County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 46,611 people, 17,376 households, and 12,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 116 people per square mile . There were 18,470 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
and surrounding regions placed great value on the education of their children. These predominantly Catholic people founded many schools in connection with their churches, several of which are still in existence. Although some of these schools — generally the older buildings — are small structures, several are larger and architecturally distinctive buildings; among this latter category are the schools at Minster, St. Henry
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...
, and Wapakoneta
St. Joseph's Catholic Church (Wapakoneta, Ohio)
St. Joseph's Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Wapakoneta, Ohio, United States. Built in 1910, this church is home to an active Catholic parish, and it has been declared a historic site because of its well-preserved Romanesque Revival architecture.-Early parish history:One of...
. A parish school was first established at Minster in 1867; as St. Theresa's School for Girls, it was partially meant to instruct girls who planned to enter the adjacent 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...
. This convent (now destroyed) was significant to the ecclesiastical position of St. Augustine's as one of the three mother churches 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...
in western Ohio. Today, St. Augustine's is the only remaining one of these three — SS. Peter's and Paul's Church at Petersburg and St. Valbert's Church at St. Valbert have both been abandoned, and only their cemeteries remain.
Historic preservation
In 1979, the Minster Elementary School 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...
because of its well-preserved historic architecture. More than thirty other buildings, including St. Augustine's Church and eight other schools, were added to the Register at the same time as part of the "Cross-Tipped Churches of Ohio Thematic Resources." This group of buildings qualified for inclusion on the Register primarily because their historic architecture represented their connections to the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. Because many of these buildings are churches with tall Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
towers, the region has come to be 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...
."