St. John's Catholic Church is a historic
Roman Catholic church of the
Diocese of Toledo on the
Allen County side of
Delphos,
Ohio,
United States. Designed by S.W. Lane,
it has been recognized as a
historic site because of its architecture.
Parish history
St. John's
Parish was established in 1842 by
German Catholic settlers who had immigrated from
Osnabrück.
Although the church was afflicted by a
cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
epidemic in 1854, it grew to the point that it was split into two parishes, with the members in
Landeck being erected into a separate parish. Land was donated for the construction of the present
church building
A church, church building or church house is a building used for Christian worship services and other Christian religious activities. The earliest identified Christian church is a house church founded between 233 and 256. From the 11th thro ...
by Frederick Bredeick; construction began in 1879 and concluded in the following year. As the village of Delphos grew with the
Miami and Erie Canal
The Miami and Erie Canal was a canal that ran from Cincinnati to Toledo, Ohio, creating a water route between the Ohio River and Lake Erie. Construction on the canal began in 1825 and was completed in 1845 at a cost to the state government of $ ...
, the parish's prosperity likewise increased;
like St. Michael's Catholic Church (Fort Loramie, Ohio), St. Michael's Catholic Church in Shelby County, Ohio, Shelby County to the south, the church's architecture demonstrates the wealth that came from the commerce along the canal.
Architecture
Interior
Leading features of the church's interior include a prominent rib vault, two rows of columns in the nave that are topped with Corinthian order, Corinthian capitals, and an altar built to resemble that of Rome's Basilica di San Clemente. Architectural experts have deemed the interior unmatched in western Ohio.
[Owen, Lorrie K., ed. ''Dictionary of Ohio Historic Places''. Vol. 1. St. Clair Shores, Michigan, St. Clair Shores: Somerset, 1999, 19.]
Exterior
Outside, the church's exterior is also striking. Although many large Catholic churches are located in western Ohio, they are more typically built in the Gothic Revival architecture, Gothic Revival style
– several counties in far western Ohio have been nicknamed the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches" because of the dominance of Gothic Revival churches in the region
[Brown, Mary Ann and Mary Niekamp. ', 3/5. National Park Service, July 1978. Accessed 2010-04-28.] – and such a large Romanesque Revival architecture, Romanesque Revival church is unique. It fills an entire city block, and its tower is by far the most prominent part of the community's skyline; accordingly, it has been likened to a cathedral.
Recognition
In 1980, St. John's Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its architectural significance. It is the only church on the National Register in Allen County, and one of three buildings in Delphos so to be recognized.
References
External links
Parish website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Johns Catholic Church, Delphos, Ohio
German-American culture in Ohio
Roman Catholic churches completed in 1880
19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States
Buildings and structures in Allen County, Ohio
National Register of Historic Places in Allen County, Ohio
Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio
Religious organizations established in 1842
Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo
Romanesque Revival church buildings in Ohio
Tourist attractions in Allen County, Ohio
1842 establishments in Ohio
Delphos, Ohio