Mother of Sorrows Church
Also known as: Atb-71-3
Why it's listed
Mother of Sorrows Church is a stone Catholic church on West 6th Street in Ashtabula, Ohio, just west of the Ashtabula Harbor Commercial District. A German architect, whose name has been lost, designed it in the Romanesque Revival style. The cornerstone was laid in 1898 and the church was dedicated on September 16, 1900. Built on a Latin cross plan, it has rock-faced ashlar walls and a front dominated by two towers of unequal height, one square and one octagonal, flanking a parapet gable. Round-arched stained glass windows and buttresses line the sides. Inside, carved woodwork, molded plaster, original oak pews and an organ installed in 1908 remain. The parish was organized in 1890 and first used a wood frame church, which later served as a school until it was demolished in 1954. As Ashtabula grew into a busy lake port, the congregation needed a larger building. The church is considered the city's finest example of its style and retains a high degree of integrity.
Significance in brief: The church is nominated under Criterion C for architecture as the most fully developed and significant example of Romanesque Revival design in Ashtabula. It has rock-faced ashlar walls, two towers of unequal height, and round-arched stained glass windows. It also reflects the growth of the parish alongside Ashtabula's rise as a lake port for coal and iron ore.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 95000170, listed March 9, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1500 W. 6th St., Ashtabula |
|---|---|
| County | Ashtabula County |
| Listed | March 9, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000170 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1898-1900 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Romanesque (Romanesque Revival) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used for religious purposes; the form says it retains a high degree of architectural integrity despite a few changes. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.89583, -80.80356 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 95000170.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6917492
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.