Holy Family Catholic Church
Also known as: Frenchtown Catholic Church
Why it's listed
Holy Family Catholic Church is a brick church built in 1866 along State Route 185 in Frenchtown, Darke County, Ohio. It has a rectangular plan, a gable roof, a stone foundation and walls painted white. Gothic windows hold stained glass inscribed with donors' names in French. A small bell tower has open arches and a bellcast roof with four pointed gables. An entranceway added in 1964 now covers the original facade and houses the baptistry, and the sacristies were enlarged at that time. The parish traces back to the early 1840s, when a priest worked among French-speaking settlers. A log church was built in 1846, burned in 1848, and was replaced by another. Canal and railroad development brought more French families, and the present brick church followed. At one time the Frenchtown parish also included the parishes of Versailles, St. Remy and St. Valbert. The church represents the modest brick Catholic churches of the area and is part of a group of cross-tipped churches.
Significance in brief: The inventory describes it as representative of the early, modest brick Catholic churches built in this area. It reflects the French-speaking settlement of Frenchtown, where a parish grew from log churches of the 1840s as the canal and railroads brought more French families.
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 79002817, listed July 26, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | OH 185, Frenchtown |
|---|---|
| County | Darke County |
| Listed | July 26, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002817 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a church; exterior in good condition, interior modified. An entranceway added in 1964 blocks the original facade. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.24620, -84.52367 (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 79002817.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5885420
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.