Saint Joseph's Roman Catholic Church
Why it's listed
St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church is a red brick church at Third Street SE and South Avenue SE in Massillon, Ohio, built in 1891-1892 to a design by local architect and stonecarver John B. Verment, with John Minehart as builder. Its Victorian Gothic Revival character shows in the sandstone trim, pointed arched stained glass windows with tracery, buttresses, brick corbelling and an asymmetrical elevation with a corner bell tower. Inside, a Latin cross plan has a ribbed vaulted ceiling and fan vaults in the transepts. The parish began in 1852 as a mission for Irish Catholics, and the present church replaced an earlier building from 1864. A Georgian Revival rectory, designed by Cleveland architect William Coehl and built in 1922-1924, is also counted as contributing. The church was listed for its architecture, as an example of late 19th century ethnic parish church design in Massillon and of Verment's work.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church represents 19th century religious architecture in Massillon under Criterion C. It is an ethnic parish church in the Victorian Gothic style, with polychromatic brick and sandstone, an asymmetrical corner tower, pointed arches and vaulted interiors. These features reflect the work of local architect and stonecarver John B. Verment.
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 10000279, listed May 21, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 322 3rd St. SE., Massillon |
|---|---|
| County | Stark County |
| Listed | May 21, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000279 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1892-1924 |
| Architect / builder | Verment, John Baptist, architect (aka Vermont); Minehart, John, builder |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Gothic (Victorian Gothic Revival) |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The church remains in religious use. The rectory is still used as the priest's residence. The corner tower was strengthened and its steeple replaced in 2008. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.79421, -81.51733 (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 10000279.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7401526
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.