{"nrhp_refnum":"79001952","name":"St. Mary's Catholic Church","other_names":["Catholic Church of St. Mary,Mother of God","Neue Katholishe Mu"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"206 Cherry Rd., NE","address_restricted":false,"city":"Massillon","county":"Stark County","state":"OH","lat":40.80225992100003,"lon":-81.52275244599997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-04-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Gothic-style Catholic church of rusticated Massillon sandstone at 206 Cherry Road NE in Massillon, Stark County, Ohio, built between 1875 and 1905 to designs by Dayton architect Leon Beaver.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it an outstanding example of High Victorian Gothic architecture. It is also an important link to the Catholic heritage of Massillon, tied to a German congregation that persisted despite local anti-Catholic hostility, including the burning of an earlier church in 1852.","narrative":"Twin-towered and built of rusticated Massillon sandstone, the Catholic Church of St. Mary, Mother of God, at 206 Cherry Road NE in Massillon is a High Victorian Gothic landmark. It measures 185 feet by 85 feet and has a Latin cross roof, a rose window above the entrances, and tall stained glass windows along its sides. Dayton architect Leon Beaver designed it for a German Catholic congregation, and the cornerstone was laid in September 1876. Construction moved slowly after the Panic of 1873. Work halted in 1878, masses began in 1880, the church was dedicated in 1892, and one tower was finished around 1905. The site also reflects the local Catholic community's struggles. Early Irish and German Catholics faced preaching and newspaper attacks, and their first church was burned in 1852 and later rebuilt. Interior changes occurred through the 20th century, yet the exterior remains close to its original design.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"Dayton Architect Leon Beaver","architectural_style":"High Victorian Gothic","criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition is marked excellent and altered; the church is occupied and in religious use. The interior was modified in the 20th century.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:12.863752-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/79001952.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79001952/2c07196cb8-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79001952/2c07196cb8-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Sanfranman59","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Mary%27s_Catholic_Church_(Massillon,_OH).JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Sanfranman59</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Mary%27s_Catholic_Church_(Massillon,_OH).JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71991428","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary%27s_Catholic_Church_(Massillon,_Ohio)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7590114"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/stark-county/st-marys-catholic-church-79001952/"}