{"nrhp_refnum":"79002825","name":"St. Michael Catholic Church Complex","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"U.S. 705 east of U.S. 66","address_restricted":false,"city":"Fort Loramie","county":"Shelby County","state":"OH","lat":40.35139976500005,"lon":-84.37183235999998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-07-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture","Religion","Social History"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Catholic parish complex in Fort Loramie, Shelby County, Ohio, centered on the High Gothic St. Michael Church of 1881 and including the attached 1849-51 brick church (now a chapel), a rectory built about 1890-1900, and an 1885 school building.","why_significant":"The 1881 church is described as about ten years ahead of the High Gothic trend in the area and the only one locally with golden statues on its exterior. The complex reflects the wealth of the former canal town and the long tenure of Father William Bigot. The older church was kept and attached rather than demolished, and the rectory is called one of the most elaborate in the area.","narrative":"Fort Loramie, a Miami-Erie Canal town in Shelby County, Ohio, is home to a Catholic parish complex built over several decades. The main church, completed in 1881 and attributed to architect Anton Goehr of Minster, is a High Gothic building of brick with intricate sandstone trim, a central spire with four clock faces, and golden statues of St. Michael and the four gospel writers at its three doorways. The interior has a varnished reredos, box-like pews, a vaulted ceiling and painted Stations of the Cross. The earlier brick church of 1849-51 was moved back and attached to the transept rather than demolished, and it now serves as a chapel. Nearby are a rectory of about 1890-1900, built during Father William Bigot's pastorate and costing $10,000, and an 1885 school. Together they illustrate the prosperity of the canal town and an early use of High Gothic design in the area.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Anton Goehr of Minster (architect of the 1881 church; possibly also the 1849 church)","architectural_style":"High Gothic (church); High Victorian Gothic (rectory and school)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Church and rectory are in good condition and in use; the 1849-51 church serves as a chapel with a remodeled interior; the school has later additions described as intrusive; plans to modernize the church interior were being formulated.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:12.175171-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/79002825.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79002825/46db939335-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79002825/46db939335-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Michael%27s_Catholic_Church_in_Fort_Loramie,_front_and_eastern_side.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Michael%27s_Catholic_Church_in_Fort_Loramie,_front_and_eastern_side.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71986188","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138678948"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/shelby-county/st-michael-catholic-church-complex-79002825/"}