St John the Baptist Catholic Church

St John the Baptist Catholic Church. In the “Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches”. Dedication: 17 November 1891 , Architect: Adophus Druiding (1838- 1899), Chicago, IL , Contractor: Anton DeCurtins (1829- 1895), Carthagena, OH , This historic parish was organized in 1835 by a group of German immigrants, primarily from Oldenburg, who purchased 40 acres of land. In 1836, the parish was established from St. Augustine, Minster and became the first catholic parish in Marion Township and Mercer County. The present church is the third one after log (1837) and brick (1850) buildings. The plat for the village of St. John was recorded 24 September 1838., On 5 May 1889 the cornerstone for the present church was blessed by native son, Bishop Joseph Dwenger, C.P.P.S. (1837-1893). Two years later, the church was dedicated at a cost of $40,133, much of the work was done by parishioners. In Romanesque Revival style, the church measures nearly 138 feet in length and 58 feet wide. The exterior was decorated with sandstone trim, finials and cornices. but they were removed c. 1960. The tower, rising 180 feet, contains three bells made by the Henry Stucksted Bell Co., St. Louis in 1892. Ten Corinthian stone columns grace he interior with painting by the Adolph Liebig Co., Milwaukee and three glass windows were created by the Artistic Glass Co., Cincinnati. Three altars, appropriate to the architecture of the church, were purchased in 1913. A Pilcher organ, purchased in 1935, and restored in 1997, has 20 ranks and over 1500 pipes. The church, because of its historic and architectural features, was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1979., Presented to the St. John Parish by descendants of the Leon and Catherine (Kilker) Bernard Family, immigrant parishioners from Rechesy, France, who arrived in Maria Stein in 1836; A.D. 2008. . This historical marker was erected in 2008 by Descendants of the Leon and Catherine (Kilker) Bernard. It is in Maria Stein in Mercer County Ohio