St. Bernard Catholic Church and Rectory
Also known as: Burkettsville Catholic Church and Rectory
Why it's listed
In Burkettsville, Ohio, near the Mercer-Darke county line, a Romanesque Revival church and its rectory serve the St. Bernard parish, organized in 1874. The present church, built in 1924 of buff brick to designs by J.F. Sheblessy of Cincinnati, is the parish's third. It has a cruciform plan, a tile gable roof, and twin towers with hexagonal domes above open belfries. Three doorways symbolize the Trinity, and a stained glass window sits above the central door. Earlier worship took place in a frame church enlarged in 1904; plans for a new building stalled during the war until 1922. The priest here also directed a novitiate for boys entering the priesthood. The two-story brick rectory of 1906, the parish's first, has a front gable with an elliptical window, a veranda on stone columns, and a fanlight doorway. It was first lit by acetylene gas and has changed only slightly since.
Significance in brief: The inventory describes the church as the parish's third church, built in buff brick with twin towers and a cruciform plan, and notes that its priest also led a novitiate for boys entering the priesthood. The rectory is recorded as the parish's first, retaining most original features with only minor changes. Both are part of a thematic group of Latin/cross-tipped churches.
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 79002842, listed July 26, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Main St., Burketsville |
|---|---|
| County | Mercer County |
| Listed | July 26, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002842 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Church: J.F. Sheblessy of Cincinnati, architect; Medland Bros. of Logansport, Indiana, builder. Rectory: not stated. |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival (church); Vernacular (rectory) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Both buildings are in use: the church as a church, the rectory as a priest house. The church exterior is in good condition with the interior remodeled; the rectory is good inside and out. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.35226, -84.64590 (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 79002842.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q124307094
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.