The Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches is a

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...

region in the western part of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, centered near

Maria Stein Maria Stein (German language, German, literally Mary's stone or "Mary of the Rock") is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community in central Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, Mercer County, Ohio ...

in Mercer County. Its name is derived from the dense concentration of large

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

churches that dominate the area's architecture. These and other buildings were constructed by the Society of the Most Precious Blood under the oversight of the missionary priest

Francis de Sales Brunner Francis de Sales Brunner Missionaries of the Precious Blood, C.PP.S. (January 10, 1795 – December 29, 1859), in his native German language, German ''Franz Sales Brunner'', was a Roman Catholic missionary priest from Switzerland. Invited to th ...

. Under his leadership, the Society founded many churches and schools in the region, as well as several

seminaries A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

. The earliest buildings from the mid-19th century were mostly small wooden or simple brick structures. Most of these were replaced in later construction periods; only two from this generation are still in use as churches. Many of the massive

Gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

churches that remain today were built in the late 19th century and early 20th century by Anton DeCurtins or his descendants. The churches of the region have changed little since the early 20th century, and only one new parish has been established since 1925.Brown, Mary Ann, and Mary Niekamp. ', 2–5. National Park Service, July 1978. Accessed 2010-01-26.

Historic buildings

In 1976, many churches in the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches were added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

, along with a small number of church-related buildings. These buildings are detailed in the chart below; each is listed under the name by which it appears on the Register.

References

External Links

*Lamott, John H.
History of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati: 1821–1921
'.

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

: Pustet, 1921.
Land of Cross Tipped Churches Postcards
Available at Miami University of Ohio Digital Collections {{DEFAULTSORT:Land Of The Cross-Tipped Churches Ohio culture Regions of Ohio Catholic Church in the United States