St. Aloysius Catholic Church (Carthagena, Ohio)
St. Aloysius Catholic Church | |
NRHP reference No. | 79002824[1] |
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Added to NRHP | July 26, 1979 |
St. Aloysius Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Carthagena, an unincorporated community in Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. Built in the late nineteenth century, it remains the home of an active parish, and it has been designated a historic site because of its well-preserved architecture.
Early parish history
Local Catholics began to purchase large amounts of land in Cathagena from black people in 1856; the parish grew strong enough to establish a school and a cemetery in 1860,[2]: 230 and St. Aloysius' Church was canonically erected in 1865.[3] In their earliest years, the people worshipped in the chapel of the adjacent St. Charles Seminary.[2]: 230 Throughout its history, the church has been significantly influenced by the seminary, which trained the priests of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood[4] and provided pastors for the church.[2]: 231
As its membership grew, the parish decided to construct a church building. Plans were laid and construction began in 1875; the
Church building
St. Aloysius Church is a
Architectural historians have divided the Precious Blood-related churches of western Ohio into four generations. Most of the first-generation churches were small frame structures; only four of these buildings (three of which are brick) – have survived; two have been converted for other purposes, one has been greatly modified, and only St. John's Church in Fryburg remains in a condition resembling its original state.[5]: 2 St. Aloysius is a member of the second generation of churches,[4] which comprises the buildings completed between 1865 and 1885. Most of these buildings were simple brick structures with small bell towers; conversely, St. Aloysius was the first church in the region to be designed with a tall tower. Its construction was a turning point in the ecclesiastical architecture of the region: after its construction, most of the area's churches were modified by the construction of similar towers, and later structures were generally designed likewise.[5]: 2 Furthermore, Anton DeCurtins's commission to design the church at Carthagena, where he lived, led to similar requests from many other parishes: the churches of the third generation, built between 1885 and 1905, were characteristically large brick High Gothic Revival structures, dominated by tall towers, and designed by Anton or his sons.[5]: 3
Stained glass windows
The church interior is adorned with Munich-style stained glass windows. The windows depict the life of the church patron saint, Aloysius Gonzaga, saints associated with other places having names similar to "Carthagena", and saints revered in German culture.
- Subjects of the pictorial windows (as written on the windows, translated from German)
- St. Aloysius receives the first Holy Communion from the hand of St. Charles Borromeo.
- St. Aloysius is surprised by his parents in prayer.
- St. Florian, Soldier and Martyr, Patron against fire hazard.
- St. Isidore Archbishop of Seville, 636. Born 560 in Cartagena, Spain.
- St. NotburgaVirgin and Maid Servant. Died 1313.
- St. Perpetua, Mother and Martyr, 202 in Carthage, Africa.
- St. Peter Claver teaches the Negro slaves in Cartagena, South America.
- St. Deacon Lawrence hears of his approaching death from St. Pope Sixtus.
Related properties
Two school buildings – one frame and one brick – were built approximately 0.5 miles (0.80 km) west of the church. These buildings were built for the
Recent history
Recognition
Architectural historians from the
Current status
St. Aloysius Church continues as an active parish of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati to the present day. It is part of the St. Henry Cluster, along with St. Bernard Parish in Burkettsville, St. Francis Parish in Cranberry Prairie, St. Henry Parish in St. Henry, and St. Wendelin Parish in St. Wendelin. The entire cluster is a part of the St. Marys Deanery.[6]
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Scranton, S.S. History of Mercer County, Ohio and Representative Citizens. Chicago: Biographical, 1907.
- ^ Fortin, Roger. Faith and Action: A History of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati 1821-1996 Archived 2011-07-27 at the Wayback Machine. Columbus: Ohio State UP, 2002, 401.
- ^ Ohio Historical Society, January 1977.
- ^ a b c d e f g Brown, Mary Ann and Mary Niekamp. National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Cross-Tipped Churches Thematic Resources. National Park Service, July 1978. Accessed 2010-03-03.
- ^ The Futures Project, Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Accessed 2010-06-24.
External links
Media related to Saint Aloysius Church (Carthagena, Ohio) at Wikimedia Commons