St. Patrick's Catholic Church (Toledo, Ohio)

The Historic Church of St. Patrick is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo located at 130 Avondale Avenue in Toledo, Ohio. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.[1]

St. Patrick's Catholic Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
South Facade
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Location	13th St. and Avondale Ave., Toledo, Ohio
Coordinates	41°38′56″N 83°32′45″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1901 (1901)
Architect	Adolphus Druiding
Architectural style	Gothic
NRHP reference No.	72001033[1]
Added to NRHP	February 23, 1972

History

The current structure is the second to bear this name. Construction of the first church began in 1862 at the corner of Lafayette and 13th Streets. It was dedicated May 17, 1863 with construction costs totaling $27,000. However, by 1891, the building was deemed unsafe and demolished. Pews and other interior furnishings removed for use in a new building.[2]

Construction

Fr. Edward Hannin, pastor of St. Patrick's, set out to create "the finest church in this part of the land," for his congregation and began to raise money for construction. When it was completed, St. Patrick's was considered one of the finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture in the United States.[3] The exterior is constructed of Amherst blue sandstone and the interior contains ten red granite columns. The church was dedicated on April 13, 1901.[2]

Alterations

The nave of the church

The church underwent extensive renovations in the 1920s under the guidance of pastor Fr. Francis Keyes. Changes included new chandeliers, flooring and art work. In 1937, a new cross was added to the steeple. On September 9, 1980, the 240 ft (73 m) steeple was destroyed by fire caused by a lightning strike. Falling debris damaged the roof and other portions of the structure. After her death February 25, 2006, Parishioner Margaret Tank bequeathed funds for the steeple's reconstruction and other upgrades in the church.[4] The gift also allowed for repairs to the sanctuary's organ which was also damaged in the 1980 fire. The two-manual Rodgers electronic organ that incorporated 17 ranks of pipes from an earlier Kilgen organ was upgraded to a four-manual instrument.[5] The steeple and other projects were completed August 28, 2007.[6]

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. "History- St Patrick's Historic Catholic Church Toledo, Ohio". The Historic Church of St. Patrick. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
3. "Father Hannin And St. Patrick's Church". Toledo Blade. news.google.com. 10 September 1950. p. 1: sec 6. Retrieved 2011-07-19.
4. Mark Reiter (17 March 2006). "Widow Leaves $6.5M to Catholic Institutions". Toledo Blade. Red Orbit. Retrieved 2011-07-19.
5. "The Historic Church of St. Patrick - Toledo". Rodgers Instruments. Retrieved 2011-07-19.
6. "St. Patrick's Celebrates Renovations and New Steeple" (Press release). Diocese of Toledo. 28 August 2007. Retrieved 2011-07-19.