First Presbyterian Church (Napoleon, Ohio)
First Presbyterian Church | |
.jpg) Front of the church | |
   | |
| Location | 303 W. Washington, Napoleon, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°23′23″N 84°7′39″W / 41.38972°N 84.12750°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1901 |
| Architect | Harry W. Wachter |
| Architectural style | American Craftsman |
| NRHP reference No. | 90000381[1] |
| Added to NRHP | March 9, 1990 |
First Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian church in the city of Napoleon, Ohio, United States. Located at 303 W. Washington Street, it has been recognized as a historic site because of its unusual architecture.
Early history
Organized in 1861, the congregation built its first church building on the southwestern corner of the intersection of Washington and Webster Streets, two blocks away from the Henry County Courthouse. Approximately forty years later, the original building was destroyed and the present structure erected on its place; construction began in 1900 and concluded in 1901.[2]
Architecture
Designed by
Unlike those of many sandstone buildings, the walls of First Presbyterian are built of stones of many different sizes and colors. Combined with the towers and gables of the roofline, the building presents a distinctive appearance; a 1977 survey of historic buildings pronounced the church's architecture unique for northwestern Ohio.[2] Its unusual shapes and colors present a significant contrast to St. Augustine's Catholic Church, located on the other side of downtown Napoleon:[1] while First Presbyterian includes a broken roofline and the many decorative elements typical of the American Craftsman style, St. Augustine's is a uniform Gothic Revival structure with a tower 200 feet (61 m) high.[4] First Presbyterian's architecture has led to wider recognition for the church; in 1980, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its architectural significance. Only three other buildings in Henry County, all of which are in downtown Napoleon, are listed on the Register; no Ohio county has fewer properties on the Register than does Henry County.[1]
Congregation
First Presbyterian Church is an active part of the Maumee Valley Presbytery of the
References
- ^ a b c d "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ a b c Reace, R. Ohio Historic Inventory Nomination: First Presbyterian Church Archived 2011-07-26 at the Wayback Machine. Ohio Historical Society, 1977. Accessed 2010-03-01.
- Ohio Historical Society, 2007. Accessed 2010-03-01.
- ^ Ligibel, T. Ohio Historic Inventory Nomination: St. Augustine's Catholic Church Archived 2011-07-26 at the Wayback Machine. Ohio Historical Society, 1977. Accessed 2010-03-01.
- ^ Napoleon First Presbyterian Church, Maumee Valley Presbytery, 2010-01-08. Accessed 2010-03-01.
- ^ Reace, T. and R. Ohio Historic Inventory Nomination: Presbyterian Manse. Ohio Historical Society, 1977. Accessed 2010-03-01.
Further reading
- Slocum, Charles Elihu. History of the Maumee River Basin. Indianapolis: Bowen and Slocum, 1905.
