Versailles in Darke County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

St. Denis Parish - St. Valbert Cemetery

Old St. Valbert Parish

On This Site Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Rev. Ronald Irick, July 16, 2018

1. On This Site Marker

Inscription. On this site in 1839, on 1 ½ aces, kindly donated by Nickolas Marchal, a log church 32 ft. x 40 ft. x 18 ft. high was built by he and his sons. It was to be called St. Valbert Parish.

It was the first Catholic Church in this area and directly served an area 8 miles by 10 miles.

For St. Valbert, Rev. Louis Navarron was recruited in Clermont France by Archbishop John Purcell of Cincinnati. He was to be the bishop’s delegate from 1838 to 1848. A zealous missionary, both fearless and eager, he served a territory from Greenville to Lima, Ohio.

In 1864, to be more centrally located, the parish ourchased the Baptist Church in Jacksonville - later to be named Versailles as the predominant nationality of the area was French. At that time also, the parish was re-named St. Denis in honor of the patron saint of all of France.

The site was retained as it was already a Catholic Cemetery, for St. Denis and the name unchanged for posterity reasons. This was given by a giving parishioner to preserve the heritage of the general area in 2012.

Erected 2012.

Topics. This historical marker is listed

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in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers.

Location. 40° 14.451′ N, 84° 27.861′ W. Marker is in Versailles, Ohio, in Darke County. It is at the intersection of Long Road (County Route 345) and Rehmert’s Run Road, on the right when traveling west on Long Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9265 Long Road, Versailles OH 45380, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Till Plains.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: St. Denis Parish (here, next to this marker); Original Plat of Jacksonville (approx. 1.6 miles away); The Fire of 1901 (approx. 1.6

Photographed by Rev. Ronald Irick, July 16, 2018

2. On This Site Marker

miles away); Mr. Foy's Cow (approx. 1.6 miles away); Veteran's Memorial Bridge (approx. 1.6 miles away); The Inn (approx. 1.6 miles away); Town Hall & Wayne Township House (approx. 1.7 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 1.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Versailles.

Photographed by Rev. Ronald Irick, July 16, 2018

3. On This Site Marker

St. Denis Parish - St. Valbert Cemetery Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Doda, July 13, 2024

4. St. Denis Parish - St. Valbert Cemetery Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on July 18, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2018, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,120 times since then and 84 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 18, 2018, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. 4. submitted on July 15, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.