{"nrhp_refnum":"75001391","name":"St. Mary's Catholic Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"429 Central Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Sandusky","county":"Erie County","state":"OH","lat":41.45132756800007,"lon":-82.71379835999994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1975-10-10","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Religion"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Gothic-style Catholic church at 429 Central Avenue in Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio, with construction begun in 1873 and dedication in 1880 for the city's German-speaking parish.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is an excellent example of Decorated (Moderate) Gothic architecture with few alterations to its original plan. It is built of local Sandusky blue limestone and Berea sandstone, which reflects the work of immigrant stone cutters in the area. It also records the history of Sandusky's German Catholic congregation.","narrative":"St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sandusky, Ohio, is a large Gothic-style church built for the city's German-speaking Catholic parish. It measures 184 feet long and 75 feet wide, with a main tower rising 200 feet. Its walls are Sandusky blue limestone trimmed with Berea sandstone, and the cruciform plan includes a three-aisle nave, shallow transepts and an octagonal sanctuary with lancet windows. Groined vaulting rests on ten free-standing stone columns. The parish began in 1853 when German Catholics separated from Holy Angels Church, and it built a small stone church in 1855. Under Rev. N. Moes, the present church was started with a cornerstone in October 1873. The financial panic slowed work for several years, and Bishop Gilmour dedicated the building on November 28, 1880. It is valued as a well-preserved example of Decorated Gothic design and for its use of local cut limestone, a notable feature of Sandusky architecture.","period_of_significance":"19th Century (cornerstone 1873; dedicated 1880)","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Decorated (Moderate) Gothic; also described as High Victorian Gothic","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed in excellent condition, altered, on its original site, and in religious use; described as occupied.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:10.052796-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/75001391.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001391/2d0f614485-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001391/2d0f614485-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Mary%27s_Catholic_Church_in_Sandusky.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Mary%27s_Catholic_Church_in_Sandusky.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71988146","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary%27s_Catholic_Church_(Sandusky,_Ohio)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7590124"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/erie-county/st-marys-catholic-church-75001391/"}