{"nrhp_refnum":"79002833","name":"Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Complex","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Anthony and Walnut Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Celina","county":"Mercer County","state":"OH","lat":40.55229899100007,"lon":-84.5725574840692,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-07-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Catholic parish complex at Anthony and Walnut streets in Celina, Ohio, with a 1903 Romanesque brick church, a 1910 rectory, a 1918 school and a 1933 school building, plus a convent.","why_significant":"The church is described as the largest Romanesque Catholic church in the county, with a large central dome and two smaller domes over octagonal belfries. The surrounding school and rectory buildings show the parish's growth as Celina became county seat. The 1933 school is noted as the last known work by the de Curtins family of architects related to the church.","narrative":"This parish complex stands at Anthony and Walnut streets in Celina, Mercer County, Ohio, and occupies almost two full blocks. Its centerpiece is the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, a brick Romanesque building of 1903 designed by Andrew DeCurtins of Lima. It has a large central dome, two smaller domes above octagonal belfries on square towers, a rose window in the east facade, and three east doorways. The parish was organized in 1865, later than others in the county. As Celina became the county seat, the parish added a rectory in 1910, a combined grade and high school in 1918, and a second school in 1933 designed by Frederick de Curtins, nephew of the earlier school's architect. The schools use English Perpendicular design, and the buff brick rectory is vernacular. The complex is listed for its Romanesque church and its record of parish growth, and the 1933 school is the last known de Curtins work linked to the church.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Church: Andrew DeCurtins of Lima, architect; John Burkhart of Kenton, builder. 1918 school: de Curtins. 1933 school: Frederick de Curtins, architect; William and Joseph Forsthoff, builders.","architectural_style":"Romanesque (church); English Perpendicular (schools); Vernacular (rectory)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Church, rectory and both schools are reported in use, with the church and 1933 school in good to excellent condition and the 1918 school in fair condition.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:12.639551-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/79002833.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79002833/3a551ec0d8-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79002833/3a551ec0d8-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Immaculate_Conception_Catholic_Church,_Celina,_front.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Immaculate_Conception_Catholic_Church,_Celina,_front.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71985863","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immaculate_Conception_Catholic_Church_(Celina,_Ohio)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6004334"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/mercer-county/immaculate-conception-catholic-church-complex-79002833/"}