|
 The
cornerstone for St. Mary's current church was blessed on September
10, 1876--making 1996 the 120th anniversary of this historic
building.
The Gothic style church, which was designed by architect Leon
Beaver of Dayton, is 185 feet in length and 85 feet wide at its
widest point. The roof, which is built with large wood trusses and
a vaulting interior made of alloy, is 95 feet above the floor at
it's highest point.
A series of 14 gold-gray stone columns support the roof structure.
The columns, exterior walls, entryways, and trim were cut from
Massillon Quarry stone just north of the city of Massillon.
The building replaced a previous church building which was built
in 1842 and had become too small for the growing parish. In 1868,
the first steps were taken to establish a new building. By 1875,
construction had begun. A crowd of 5,000 attended the 1876
cornerstone laying ceremony which was conducted in English and
German.
Later, in 1878, construction would be temporarily halted during a
recessional period. It resumed, though, to see the building put
under roof in 1880 and blessed in August of that year. Mass was
celebrated regularly in the church while construction continued.
It wasn't until 1892 that the building was formally dedicated.
Not part of the original construction, new bell towers and bells
were added to the church in later years. A Schantz Organ Co. pipe
organ was installed in 1921 which remains in service today.
The church saw many major renovations during the 1950's and 60's
including the installation of stained glass windows which depict
the Mysteries of the Rosary. The famous windows are a design of
Gabriel Loire of Chartres, France. In 1979, the church was listed
on the National Register of Historic Places. The most recent
changes included restoration of the organ and the interior of the
church.
St. Mary's church building continues to be a source of pride for
the parish family as it no doubt was 125 years ago. |
