St. Mary Parish Hall
Also known as: Old Depot
Why it's listed
Built in 1853 as a railroad depot, this small frame building in Vermilion, Ohio, now serves as the social hall for St. Mary Church. It stands behind the church, between the Conrail tracks and a parking lot next to Victory Park, at the point where Exchange Street ends. The one-story rectangular structure has a sandstone foundation, board and batten walls, and a gable roof covered in asphalt shingles. Its broad bracketed overhang, vertical siding, original windows and label lintels are typical of railroad depots of its period. Conversion to a social hall required only limited remodeling: the office with the original ticket window became a kitchen, and the doors on the track side were replaced with windows. The building was recorded as a rare example of pre-Civil War railroad architecture in Ohio, and that rarity is the main reason for its recognition. Its condition was recorded as good, inside and out.
Significance in brief: The inventory describes it as a rare example of pre-Civil War railroad architecture in Ohio. It retains typical depot features such as a broad bracketed overhang, board and batten siding, original windows and label lintels. Only limited remodeling was done to convert it to a social hall.
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 79003931, listed November 14, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Exchnage St., Vermilion |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | November 14, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003931 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now used as a church social hall; interior and exterior condition listed as good. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.42073, -82.36352 (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 79003931.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137783867
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.