{"nrhp_refnum":"82003552","name":"St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"802 Kenton St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Springfield","county":"Clark County","state":"OH","lat":39.91585811300007,"lon":-83.79777831299998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-03-15","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick Roman Catholic church at 802 Kenton Street in Springfield, Clark County, Ohio, designed by architect Charles Creager in 1892 and built between 1894 and 1897, with interior finishing continuing to 1904.","why_significant":"The church is significant as the work of Springfield architect Charles Creager, and it differs sharply from his better-known Richardsonian Romanesque designs. Built in brick rather than stone, it uses an Early Romanesque Revival approach with Gothic touches, showing his flexibility as a designer. An optional section also presents it as an example of the Irish-American immigrant experience, built by a working-class parish despite financial hardship.","narrative":"St. Joseph Church is a rectangular brick church at 802 Kenton Street in Springfield, Ohio, about 56 feet wide and 136 feet deep. Its tripartite front facade centers on a projecting tower topped by an octagonal spire, with corbelled brick machicolations along the eaves and lancet windows with Gothic tracery. Architect Charles Creager was chosen in 1892, construction began in 1894, and the structure was dedicated in 1897, with interior work continuing until 1904. The design is notable because Creager, known for the Richardsonian Romanesque City Building, used brick and an Early Romanesque Revival style here, adding Gothic details such as lancet windows, doorways and the spire. Inside, a Renaissance-style high altar, originally from a chapel in Reading, Ohio, remains in original condition. The parish was founded to serve Irish laborers employed in nearby shops and completed the church despite a bankruptcy and the financial panic of 1893.","period_of_significance":"1892 & 1894-97","architect_builder":"Charles Creager","architectural_style":"Early Romanesque Revival with Gothic elements","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as occupied, in excellent condition and altered; used for religious purposes. Exterior refurbishing was under way at the time of the form.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:12.925996-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/82003552.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82003552/0959f66291-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82003552/0959f66291-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Joseph%27s_Catholic_Church_in_Springfield,_eastern_side.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Joseph%27s_Catholic_Church_in_Springfield,_eastern_side.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71987048","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Joseph%27s_Catholic_Church_(Springfield,_Ohio)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7589081"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/clark-county/st-joseph-roman-catholic-church-82003552/"}