{"nrhp_refnum":"83002012","name":"St. Mary Roman Catholic Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"543 Xenia Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Dayton","county":"Montgomery County","state":"OH","lat":39.752871509000045,"lon":-84.16761957299997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-04-21","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brown brick, cruciform Romanesque Catholic church at 543 Xenia Avenue in East Dayton, Ohio, built around 1906 for a German Catholic parish founded in 1859.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is a beautifully executed example of Romanesque architecture, with round arches used throughout. It is described as the only Romanesque church in Dayton and possibly the grandest and most architecturally opulent church in the area. Its interior frescoes, mosaics and marble work are also cited as notable craftsmanship.","narrative":"St. Mary Roman Catholic Church sits on the north side of Xenia Avenue in East Dayton, Ohio. Completed about 1906, the brown brick, cruciform building rests on a high rusticated limestone foundation. Its three-part facade has a gabled center with a deeply recessed arched entrance and a stained glass rose window, flanked by two taller bell towers with domical roofs and gold leaf crosses. The church replaced an earlier building demolished in 1905 for the German Catholic parish founded in 1859. Plans were drawn by John B. Vermont, an architect from Massillon, Ohio. The interior was renovated in 1921 with frescoes by Bernard Mellerio of Chicago, Tiffany-style lantern lights, a marble altar and about 1,200 square feet of Italian marble on floors and walls. The nomination recognizes it as the only Romanesque church in Dayton, notable for round-arch design and exceptional interior craftsmanship.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"John B. Vermont","architectural_style":"Romanesque","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as occupied, in excellent condition, unaltered and on its original site; used for religious purposes.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:14.398174-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/83002012.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83002012/2720e552b7-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83002012/2720e552b7-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Mary%27s_Catholic_Church_in_Dayton.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Mary%27s_Catholic_Church_in_Dayton.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71990440","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary%27s_Catholic_Church_(Dayton,_Ohio)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7590107"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/montgomery-county/st-mary-roman-catholic-church-83002012/"}