St. Louis Catholic Church and Rectory
Also known as: North Star Catholic Church and Rectory
Why it's listed
In North Star, Darke County, Ohio, a Catholic church and its rectory, both built in 1914, serve the local parish founded in 1892. The church is a one-story stucco building with a concrete foundation, painted white, with a gable roof of asphalt. An off-center square tower with a bracketed cornice holds an open bell tower, and the main block has double doors under a gabled pediment and a large central rose window. Round-arched windows with dripstones flank the entrance. The surveyors observed that no other Catholic church in the area resembles it, and they attributed its French influence to the French communities served by the Precious Blood priests. The two-story brick rectory beside it has a hipped roof, a dormer with three square windows, a stone cross set in the second-story brick, and a gabled entrance with wooden fan detailing. Before it was built, the priest lived in a small wood house that was later moved to the north edge of town. Both buildings remain in use.
Significance in brief: The inventory notes that there is no other Catholic church like this in the area, and its French influence reflects the French communities served by the Precious Blood priests. The parish was founded in 1892. The church and rectory were included in a thematic group of cross-tipped churches in western Ohio.
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 79002835, listed July 26, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | E of U.S. 127, North Star |
|---|---|
| County | Darke County |
| Listed | July 26, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002835 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Church: eclectic, French influence; Rectory: vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Both buildings are in use: the church as a church (interior excellent, exterior good) and the rectory as a priest house (exterior good). |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.32475, -84.57024 (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 79002835.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7589543
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.