Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church
Encyclopedia
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church is a historic Catholic church in Cassella
, an unincorporated community
in Mercer County
, Ohio
, United States
. One of several Catholic churches in Marion Township
, it has been designated a historic site
because of its well-preserved nineteenth-century architecture.
. Soon after the parish's formation, a small frame
church building was erected on the northeastern corner of the intersection of what is now Cassella-Montezuma Road and State Route 119
. The parish was reduced by the formation of St. Francis parish in Cranberry Prairie: due to the difficulty of travelling to Cassella, the Catholics in the western part of the parish requested a separate church, and St. Francis parish was founded in 1858.
Despite the creation of St. Francis' Church, the original frame church had become too small by the late 1850s. Starting in 1858, the parishioners spent $6,000 to construct a replacement brick structure on the southeastern corner of the intersection. Other buildings were constructed around the church, including a large house for the pastor.
Today, Nativity remains an active parish of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
. It is part of the Marion Catholic Community cluster, along with Precious Blood
parish in Chickasaw
, St. Sebastian parish
in Sebastian
, St. Rose parish
in St. Rose, and St. John the Baptist parish
in Maria Stein
. The entire cluster is a part of the St. Marys Deanery
.
structure, three bays
wide on the front and four bays long on the sides. Built on a stone foundation with a basement, the walls are of brick covered with stone, and the building is covered with a gable
d roof of asphalt. Begun in 1858, the church was consecrated
in August, 1862. The High Gothic Revival
church was greatly modified after an 1888 fire that nearly destroyed the original structure: the original walls survived, badly burnt, but the interior was destroyed. Although the church was soon rebuilt at a cost of $16,000, the exterior displayed signs of fire for many years; only in 1915 was the damage hidden, as travelling German craftsmen covered it with the cut stone exterior that remains in place today.
Dominating the church's facade is a square tower at the front; topped with a cupola
above an arch-shaped trancery window, it is decorated with ornamental columns. Worshippers enter the church through a large doorway in the tower's base. This tower was a later addition to the church: when it was first built, it was a small simple structure, similar to Holy Family Catholic Church
in Frenchtown
to the south. The inclusion of a tall tower in the design of St. Aloysius' Catholic Church
in Carthagena
, completed in 1877, was revolutionary in the region — later churches were built with such towers, and many existing churches (including Nativity) were modified by the addition of a tall tower. The tall Gothic Revival towers of many of these churches, including Nativity, has caused locals to nickname the region the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches
."
Architectural historians have classified the Cross-Tipped Churches into four generations. Nativity's first parish church was typical of the first generation of churches, which were typically small frame buildings; only the brick St. John's Church in Fryburg has survived from this generation without significant modifications. Nativity is one of the oldest second-generation churches, which were generally small rectangular brick buildings such as Holy Family; although it was built during the years of the first generation, it assumed its present condition after the 1888 fire.
that was constructed in 1904. A square two-story building, its walls are of brick laid in a common bond
; they rest on an ashlar
foundation and are topped with a hip roof
of asphalt shingles. Among its notable architectural features are a large dormer window
above the first-story verandah
porch, an imbricated
gable with a Palladian window, and an octagonal tower on the house's northwestern corner. The building's overall architecture is transitional between styles, with some Gothic Revival elements.
In the parish's first ten years, Mass
was celebrated by errant priests who stayed at nearby convents during their visits; accordingly, there was no need for a rectory. Even after the parish was granted a settled pastor, he had no house; priests in the region typically lived at the nearby convents. This situation changed in the earliest years of the twentieth century, when an archiepiscopal
directive required all parishes in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
to construct rectories for their pastors. The resulting houses are generally two-story rectangular brick structures with hip roofs and verandahs; the rectory at Cassella is one of the best-preserved examples of the period.
lie along Cassella-Montezuma Road, immediately south of the church. These one-room school
s share several architectural features, including double round windows and double doors on their facades. Many parishes in the region built schools for their children; while many one-room schools have been demolished or greatly changed, others have been converted into parish halls
or other non-scholastic types of buildings.
Soon after the establishment of the parish, the Sisters of the Precious Blood founded a convent
approximately 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) south of Cassella. Built in 1850 and known as the "Gruenwald Convent
," it once housed sixty nuns. This building no longer functions as a convent.
survey conducted by the Ohio Historical Society
. Although the survey observed that no efforts were being made toward the preservation of the buildings, both were classified as being in good condition on the interior and the exterior, and no threats to their continued existence could be found. Two years later, the church and rectory were listed together on the National Register of Historic Places
because of their well-preserved historic architecture. Thirty-two other properties, including twenty-five other churches, were listed on the Register at the same time as part of a multiple property submission of Precious Blood-related buildings in far western Ohio. Included among these buildings were the Gruenwald Convent and most of the other churches of the Marion Catholic Community; Precious Blood Church in Chickasaw was not included, but its school and rectory were listed.
Cassella, Ohio
Cassella is an unincorporated community in Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. Located at , it lies at an elevation of 955 feet...
, an 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...
in Mercer County
Mercer 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:...
, 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...
. One of several Catholic churches in Marion Township
Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio
Marion Township is one of the fourteen townships of Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,969 people in the township, 2,605 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
, it has been designated 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...
because of its well-preserved nineteenth-century architecture.
Parish history
Founded in 1847, Nativity parish was served from its earliest years by itinerant priests of the Society of the Precious BloodMissionaries 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...
. Soon after the parish's formation, 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...
church building was erected on the northeastern corner of the intersection of what is now Cassella-Montezuma Road and State Route 119
Ohio State Route 119
State Route 119 is an east–west highway serving rural sections of west-central Ohio. It begins just west of Fort Recovery at the eastern terminus of Indiana State Road 26 and intersects with State Route 49 in the virtual center of Fort Recovery. A "TO Indiana 26" shield can be seen...
. The parish was reduced by the formation of St. Francis parish in Cranberry Prairie: due to the difficulty of travelling to Cassella, the Catholics in the western part of the parish requested a separate church, and St. Francis parish was founded in 1858.
Despite the creation of St. Francis' Church, the original frame church had become too small by the late 1850s. Starting in 1858, the parishioners spent $6,000 to construct a replacement brick structure on the southeastern corner of the intersection. Other buildings were constructed around the church, including a large house for the pastor.
Today, Nativity remains an active parish 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...
. It is part of the Marion Catholic Community cluster, along with Precious Blood
Precious Blood Catholic Church (Chickasaw, Ohio)
Precious Blood Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Chickasaw, Ohio, United States. Erected in 1903 and still an active parish, the church historically owned two buildings constructed in its early years that have been designated as historic sites....
parish in Chickasaw
Chickasaw, Ohio
Chickasaw is a village in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The population was 364 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Chickasaw is located at ....
, St. Sebastian parish
St. Sebastian's Catholic Church (Sebastian, Ohio)
St. Sebastian's Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. Located in the unincorporated community of Sebastian, it is the home of an active congregation and has been declared a historic site because of its well-preserved early...
in Sebastian
Sebastian, Ohio
Sebastian is an unincorporated community in northern Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. Its elevation is 932 feet , and it is located at...
, 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, and 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,...
. The entire cluster is a 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 :...
.
Buildings
Several buildings owned by or related to the parish are located at Cassella's primary intersection. Centered around the parish church, these buildings were completed over a period of more than fifty years.Church
The church building is a rectangular single-storyStorey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
structure, 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:...
wide on the front and four bays long on the sides. Built on a stone foundation with a basement, the walls are of brick covered with stone, and the building is covered 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...
d roof of asphalt. Begun in 1858, the church was consecrated
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...
in August, 1862. The High Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
church was greatly modified after an 1888 fire that nearly destroyed the original structure: the original walls survived, badly burnt, but the interior was destroyed. Although the church was soon rebuilt at a cost of $16,000, the exterior displayed signs of fire for many years; only in 1915 was the damage hidden, as travelling German craftsmen covered it with the cut stone exterior that remains in place today.
Dominating the church's facade is a square tower at the front; topped with a cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
above an arch-shaped trancery window, it is decorated with ornamental columns. Worshippers enter the church through a large doorway in the tower's base. This tower was a later addition to the church: when it was first built, it was a small simple structure, similar to Holy Family Catholic Church
Holy Family Catholic Church (Frenchtown, Ohio)
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...
in 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...
to the south. The inclusion of a tall tower in the design of St. Aloysius' Catholic 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
Carthagena, 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,...
, completed in 1877, was revolutionary in the region — later churches were built with such towers, and many existing churches (including Nativity) were modified by the addition of a tall tower. The tall Gothic Revival towers of many of these churches, including Nativity, has caused locals to nickname the region 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...
."
Architectural historians have classified the Cross-Tipped Churches into four generations. Nativity's first parish church was typical of the first generation of churches, which were typically small frame buildings; only the brick St. John's Church in Fryburg has survived from this generation without significant modifications. Nativity is one of the oldest second-generation churches, which were generally small rectangular brick buildings such as Holy Family; although it was built during the years of the first generation, it assumed its present condition after the 1888 fire.
Rectory
Located adjacent to the church to the east is a large 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...
that was constructed in 1904. A square two-story building, its walls are of brick laid in a common bond
Brickwork
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...
; they rest on an ashlar
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...
foundation and are topped with 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...
of asphalt shingles. Among its notable architectural features are a large dormer window
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...
above the first-story 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...
porch, an imbricated
Imbricated
To imbricate means to overlap in a regular pattern.In petrology, the term "imbricated" is used in describing clastic sediments that are laid down with a preferential orientation of the composing grains. This is most often applied to conglomerates and gravels. It is generally related to paleoflow...
gable with a Palladian window, and an octagonal tower on the house's northwestern corner. The building's overall architecture is transitional between styles, with some Gothic Revival elements.
In the parish's first ten years, 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 by errant priests who stayed at nearby convents during their visits; accordingly, there was no need for a rectory. Even after the parish was granted a settled pastor, he had no house; priests in the region typically lived at the nearby convents. This situation changed in the earliest years of the twentieth century, when an archiepiscopal
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
directive required all parishes 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...
to construct rectories for their pastors. The resulting houses are generally two-story rectangular brick structures with hip roofs and verandahs; the rectory at Cassella is one of the best-preserved examples of the period.
Other structures
Two former parish schoolsCatholic 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...
lie along Cassella-Montezuma Road, immediately south of the church. These one-room school
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
s share several architectural features, including double round windows and double doors on their facades. Many parishes in the region built schools for their children; while many one-room schools have been demolished or greatly changed, others have been converted into parish halls
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...
or other non-scholastic types of buildings.
Soon after the establishment of the parish, the Sisters of the Precious Blood founded 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...
approximately 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) south of Cassella. Built in 1850 and known as the "Gruenwald Convent
Gruenwald Convent
The Gruenwald Convent is a historic former Roman Catholic convent in the far western part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Located approximately south of the small community of Cassella in Mercer County, the convent was built in 1854...
," it once housed sixty nuns. This building no longer functions as a convent.
Recognition
In 1977, Nativity Church and its rectory were recorded by the Ohio Historic Inventory, 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...
survey conducted 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"...
. Although the survey observed that no efforts were being made toward the preservation of the buildings, both were classified as being in good condition on the interior and the exterior, and no threats to their continued existence could be found. Two years later, the church and rectory 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...
because of their well-preserved historic architecture. Thirty-two other properties, including twenty-five other churches, were listed on the Register at the same time as part of a multiple property submission of Precious Blood-related buildings in far western Ohio. Included among these buildings were the Gruenwald Convent and most of the other churches of the Marion Catholic Community; Precious Blood Church in Chickasaw was not included, but its school and rectory were listed.