St. Mary Roman Catholic Church
About this property
St. Mary's Catholic Church is a historic Catholic church building in an eastern neighborhood of Dayton, Ohio, United States. Constructed at the beginning of the twentieth century, it remains home to an active parish. Its grand architecture has made it an aviator's landmark, and it has been named a historic site by the federal government. Emanuel Church, the first Catholic parish in Dayton, was formed in 1837. Many English-speaking families left to form a separate parish in 1846, but Emanuel continued growing to the point that division was necessary by the end of the 1850s. Accordingly, land was chosen on Xenia Avenue at the Allen Street intersection in one of the city's eastern neighborhoods, and the owner donated enough property to permit the construction of a church, rectory, and school. Archbishop Purcell of Cincinnati laid the cornerstone in April 1859, and the finished building was consecrated by Purcell and Henry Damian Juncker, the Bishop of Alton, in August of the following year. The building measured 110 by 50 feet (34 m × 15 m), but by the opening years of the twentieth century, the parish had outgrown it, and construction began on a new building; Archbishop Moeller laid the cornerstone in July 1905 and consecrated it in November 1906. Growth continued, and St. Anthony's Church was established in 1913 by families coming out of St. Mary's. St. Mary's remains an active part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati to the present day. Masses are celebrated both in English and in Spanish. The current St. Mary's Church is a Romanesque Revival structure built in a mix of brick and stone. Constructed according to a design by John B. Vermont, the design features two massive clock towers on the three-bay facade. Three large doorways piece the facade at the top of a staircase, with occasional large windows and numerous pairs of narrower windows on higher levels. Each window is topped with a dormered dome above the clock. Built at a cost of $125,000 (or $3240741 in 2013 dollars), the church is a landmark because of the twin towers; during World War II, Army aviators used it as a waypoint when navigating to the runways at Wright Field. In April 1983, St. Mary's Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Although as a religious property it would not normally be considered eligible for designation, it nevertheless qualified because of its distinctive historic architecture. It is one of five Dayton churches on the Register, along with Sacred Heart, St. Adalbert's, and Holy Cross Catholic Churches and First Lutheran Church. Video with numerous images of the church's interior
Location
Categories
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.
Everything a full report reveals about St. Mary Roman Catholic Church
This page lists St. Mary Roman Catholic Church. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was St. Mary Roman Catholic Church listed on the National Register?
St. Mary Roman Catholic Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 20, 1983.
What type of historic resource is St. Mary Roman Catholic Church?
St. Mary Roman Catholic Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for St. Mary Roman Catholic Church?
The period of significance for St. Mary Roman Catholic Church is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near St. Mary Roman Catholic 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 St. Mary Roman Catholic Church will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Montgomery County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Montgomery County.
Explore MontgomeryCounty ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near St. Mary Roman Catholic Church will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.