St. Joseph Catholic Church and Rectory
Why it's listed
St. Joseph Catholic Church and its rectory sit at the corner of Sawmill and St. Joe Roads in Mercer County, Ohio. The parish began about 1830 and is among the oldest Catholic parishes in the county. A French priest, Father Navarron, dedicated the first log church in 1845. The present one-story brick church, built in 1866 with a gable slate roof and stone foundation, gained a slate-covered spire tower in 1903. Parish growth was hampered by cholera in 1849, a pastor's departure to Minnesota with most of the congregation, and the creation of a mission at Fort Recovery, so the parish kept its second-generation church. The two-story brick rectory followed in 1906, after the archbishop ordered that every parish have a resident pastor. Losenkamp of St. Henry built it for $2,995. It has a slate hip roof and a wraparound veranda with Doric columns. A parish hall and a stone crucifixion group in the cemetery are also part of the grounds.
Significance in brief: The parish is described as one of the oldest Catholic parishes in Mercer County, beginning about 1830. The brick church has been altered only by the addition of a tower, and the parish was allowed to keep its second-generation church despite setbacks in growth. The rectory records the 1905 order that every parish have a resident pastor.
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 79002820, listed July 26, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Sawmill and St. Joe Rds., St. Joe |
|---|---|
| County | Mercer County |
| Listed | July 26, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002820 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Rectory: Losenkamp from St. Henry (architect and builder); church architect not stated |
| Architectural style | Rectory: Vernacular; church style not stated |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Church in use as a church, in good condition inside and outside; rectory in use as a priest house, exterior in good condition. A garage was added to the rectory. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 40.42816, -84.73850 (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 79002820.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138588683
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.