{"nrhp_refnum":"75001533","name":"St. John's Catholic Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"6th St. and McKinley Ave., NW.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Canton","county":"Stark County","state":"OH","lat":40.803098453000075,"lon":-81.37729387399997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1975-05-27","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick Gothic-style Catholic church at 6th Street and McKinley Avenue N.W. in Canton, Stark County, Ohio, with its cornerstone laid in 1870 and dedication in December 1872. It sits on a five-acre site.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it an outstanding example of pure Gothic architecture, executed in brick rather than stone, designed by Kiely of Brooklyn, New York. It is described as a landmark among the churches of a community with a strong religious heritage. The site was acquired from town founder Bezeleel Wells in 1822.","narrative":"St. John's Catholic Church occupies five acres at 6th Street and McKinley Avenue N.W. in Canton, land acquired from town founder Bezeleel Wells in 1822. The church is Gothic in design but built of brick instead of stone, with clean, simple lines. The main building measures 60 by 144 feet and has a recessed central entrance, a large three-part tracery window, and corner turrets topped with pinnacles. A four-stage bell tower and a one-story sacristy were added in the late 1800s under Father E. P. McGuire. Inside, arches and vaulted ceilings rise toward the altar, and stained glass windows from 1909 and Bavarian terra cotta Stations from 1896 line the nave. The cornerstone was laid in 1870, and the church was dedicated in December 1872. It replaced a smaller church of 1823. Its designer, Kiely, also designed St. John's in Cleveland. The nomination calls it an outstanding example of pure Gothic architecture and a local landmark.","period_of_significance":"19th Century (specific dates 1871, 1887, 1890, 1896, 1900)","architect_builder":"Kiely of Brooklyn, New York (probably Patrick C. Keeley, per reviewer notes)","architectural_style":"Gothic (pure Gothic; Gothic Revival in the write-up)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition listed as excellent and altered; still in use as a church, occupied, with a tower and sacristy added in the late 1800s.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:09.14392-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/75001533.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001533/830c22f23c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001533/830c22f23c-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Roseohioresident","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canton,_Ohio_-_St._John%27s_2011-02-04.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Roseohioresident</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canton,_Ohio_-_St._John%27s_2011-02-04.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71991349","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_St._John_the_Baptist_(Canton,_Ohio)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4867370"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/stark-county/st-johns-catholic-church-75001533/"}