St. Nicholas's Catholic Church
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Why it's listed
St. Nicholas's Catholic Church in Zanesville, Ohio, was dedicated in 1899 for a German-speaking parish that formed in 1842 after German and English speakers separated into two congregations. The earlier church, school and convent were demolished in 1955, leaving this brick building as the surviving historic part of the complex. Cleveland architect W. H. Dunn designed it in a Romanesque style with Renaissance elements, with twin domed bell towers, a rose window and a central dome over a Latin cross plan. Its main distinction is its decoration. A tile mosaic mural of the Landing of Columbus fills the entrance tympanum. Herman Mueller designed it, and the Mosaic Tile Company of Zanesville produced it using a faster sieve-like method. Stained glass came from a Cincinnati firm. The nomination presents the mural as an unusual local example of ceramic work integrated into architecture, and the church as a fine Romanesque Revival building.
Significance in brief: The nomination stresses the church's decoration, especially a tile mosaic mural in the entrance tympanum designed by Herman Mueller and made by the Mosaic Tile Company of Zanesville. It also cites the stained glass and the building as a fine example of Romanesque Revival architecture. The tile mural is described as highly unusual and possibly unique in 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 75001512, listed September 25, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 925 Main St., Zanesville |
|---|---|
| County | Muskingum County |
| Listed | September 25, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001512 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (dedicated 1899) |
| Architect / builder | W. H. Dunn of Cleveland (architect); Herman Mueller (tile mural designer); Mosaic Tile Company of Zanesville; Artistic Glass Painting Company of Cincinnati (Frank Shilffarth, stained glass) |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival with Renaissance elements |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Church in fair condition with some water damage in the vestibule; in religious use and occupied; only minor alterations noted. |
| Within district | Muskingum River Navigation Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.93924, -82.01707 (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 75001512.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7590797
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.