St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church, School, Rectory, and Convent of the Sister of the Precious Blood
Why it's listed
Four related buildings along Perry Street at the northern edge of New Riegel form the religious center of this Seneca County community: St. Boniface Church, a rectory, a school and a convent of the Sisters of the Precious Blood. The brick church, designed by Bernard Kokenge of Upper Sandusky and built in 1875, is the third church on the site and combines Gothic and Romanesque features. The convent of 1893 repeats its round arches and buttressed bays. The rectory of 1904-1905 shows Neo-Classical Revival details, and the 1927 school has Georgian Revival touches. The site's history reaches back to 1844, when Father Francis deSales Brunner helped establish a convent for the first Sisters of the Precious Blood, who began Perpetual Adoration there that Christmas night and continued it until 1979. New Riegel was settled by German Catholic families, and these buildings reflect that heritage. The church, school and rectory remain in use.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the buildings are significant for architecture and religion. The church is an excellent example of Gothic and Romanesque design from the 1870s, and the convent echoes its features. The complex reflects New Riegel's German Catholic heritage and the early work of Father Brunner and the Sisters of the Precious Blood, whose convent was called the 'cradle' of the Society in America.
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 82001487, listed November 17, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N. Perry St., New Riegel |
|---|---|
| County | Seneca County |
| Listed | November 17, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001487 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Bernard Kokenge (Church) |
| Architectural style | Gothic-Romanesque (church); Neo-Classical Revival (rectory); Georgian Revival features (school) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Church, school and rectory remain in active use; the convent was vacated by the Sisters on December 31, 1979 and sold, with plans to convert it to housing for the elderly. |
| Acreage | 10 |
| Coordinates | 41.05702, -83.33031 (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 82001487.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4729413
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.