Mother of Sorrows Church
About this property
Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church is a historic Catholic church at 1500 W. 6th Street in Ashtabula, Ohio, United States. It was built in the 1890s for a newly established parish and has gained both local and federal designation as a historic site. The Mass was first celebrated in Ashtabula Harbor in 1878, during the summer only in the early years; the first place of worship was a grocery store. Out of this gathering, a parish was established in 1890 and dedicated to St. Mary under her title of "Mother of Sorrows". Constructed in 1898 in the Romanesque Revival style of architecture, the church was designed by William P. Ginther, an Akron-based architect who specialized in ecclesiastical architecture. Both the foundation and the walls are sandstone, the roof is asphalt, and glass forms a significant part of the exterior. The church occupies a corner lot, and large gables with massive windows face both streets. A square tower with battlements is placed at the corner facing the intersection; the main entrance is set in the tower's base, and a belfry occupies the top third of the tower. In 1995, Mother of Sorrows was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, qualifying because of its historically significant architecture. In 1978, the city of Ashtabula created the Harbor Historical District, which since a 2010 boundary adjustment has embraced Mother of Sorrows Church and much of the rest of the Ashtabula Harbor neighborhood. Along with the other National Register properties in the district, Mother of Sorrows is protected by city ordinance from significant modifications. Administratively, Mother of Sorrows is overseen by the city's Our Lady of Peace Parish. It no longer uses Mother of Sorrows properties such as its former rectory, school and some parking lots. In 2014, it applied to the city to change zoning on nine plots for potential redevelopment for retail and multi-family residential use. Some residents opposed rezoning, saying it would adversely affect work to stabilize the neighborhood. There was agreement to leave at least some parking to support community use of the church. In early 2017 Pastor of Our Lady of Peace Parish, Rev. Ray Thomas made the announcement that Bishop George Murry of the Diocese of Youngstown ordered the parish to close two of the three churches. Currently no churches have been named but many fear Mother of Sorrows and St. Joseph Churches will close. This would leave Our Lady of Mt. Carmel to serve the community of Ashtabula as the only Catholic Church. As of 2022, Mother of Sorrows and St. Joseph Church were both closed and only to be used for 2 masses a year under Bishop David Bonner. In 2024 Mother of Sorrows had some of its ceiling fall into the church, leaving many to believe the building has structure damage. Fr. John Keehner, Pastor of Our Lady of Peace Parish is waiting on an independent study by the diocese whether to premaritally close the church. At this point in time, it looks to be the direction and fate of the historic church.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Mother of Sorrows Church listed on the National Register?
Mother of Sorrows Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 9, 1995.
What type of historic resource is Mother of Sorrows Church?
Mother of Sorrows Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Mother of Sorrows Church?
The period of significance for Mother of Sorrows Church is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Mother of Sorrows Church?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Mother of Sorrows Church will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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