Holy Angels Church
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Holy Angels Church is a limestone Gothic Revival church at the corner of Tiffin Avenue, Clinton and West Jefferson Street in Sandusky's West End. Built between 1841 and 1845 by Robert Cassidy, it is the oldest standing church in the Diocese of Toledo. The parish dates to 1840 and was founded by Rev. P.J. Machebeuf, a French missionary who later became the first bishop of Denver. He designed the building, drawing on small French churches. It is the mother church of the city's two other Roman Catholic parishes. The walls are coursed rubble and ashlar under a shingled gable roof. An ocular alpha and omega window from the 1840s was once on the front. Two rear wings were added in 1850, and the front was extended 35 feet with the pyramidal-roofed tower added in 1902. Stained glass side windows date from 1887. A rectory from 1895 and a school from 1887 stand nearby. The church remains in use.
Significance in brief: It is the oldest standing church in the Diocese of Toledo. The parish was founded in 1840 by Rev. P.J. Machebeuf, who designed the church after small French churches and later became the first bishop of Denver. It is also the mother church of the other two Roman Catholic parishes in Sandusky, and it is significant for its Gothic Revival architecture.
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 82001410, listed October 20, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W. Jefferson St. at Tiffin Ave. and Clinton St., Sandusky |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | October 20, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001410 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1841-1845 |
| Architect / builder | Designed by Father P.J. Machebeuf; builder Robert Cassidy |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a church; interior condition good, exterior very good, with the interior severely changed in the late 1970s. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.44930, -82.72296 (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 82001410.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14716456
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.