A Brief Introduction

Germans have been a part of Cincinnati's history from its very beginning when Benjamin Steitz landed the first settlers in 1788. In 1802 the newly incorporated village elected David Ziegler as its president. German immigration increased rapidly, and by 1840, 30% of the population was German-speaking, necessitating the publication of ordinances in both German and English. Of the city's 12,000 Catholics, 8,000 were German.

Many of these immigrants settled northwest of the Miami-Erie canal (today Central Parkway), and the German character of the neighborhood earned it the nickname "Over-the-Rhine". The newcomers founded many literary, athletic, political and musical societies which influenced the city's structure and culture. The Saengerfests were the origin of Cincinnati's May Festival tradition, and Music Hall stands on the site of old Saengerfest Hall.

In the 19th century, Over-the-Rhine became a bustling community where commercial interests large and small--breweries, furniture showrooms, markets, retail shops, and savings and loans-- mixed with homes, churches, and institutions like the Miami Medical College, the Commercial Hospital, Woodward College and the Turnverein.

The founding
In 1840, Father John Martin Henni, who later founded both the diocese of Milwaukee and Marquette University, was given the task of establishing a German parish in Over-the-Rhine. He chose Franz Ignatz, himself a German immigrant to Cincinnati, as architect for the new church. Public subscriptions from Catholics throughout the city raised money to purchase the block of land between 12th, 13th, Clay and Main Streets from the Estate of General Arthur St. Claire, first governor of the Northwest Territory and the man who gave Cincinnati its name. The land not needed for parish buildings was resold and the proceeds used to pay for the new church.

The cornerstone of St. Marien Kirche (St. Mary's Church) was laid on March 25, 1841, the Feast of the Annunciation, with 10,000 people attending. Because the members of the new parish had only recently come to this country , they had little money and did most of the construction themselves. The women baked the bricks in their ovens at home, while the men felled and hewed whole trees to form the mammoth beams which still span the church above the painted plaster ceiling.

Work progressed rapidly, and on July 3, 1842, the church was dedicated. It was then the largest church in the Ohio valley, measuring 142' in length and 66' in width, with a tower reaching the height of 170'. The dedication ceremonies lasted 11 hours, beginning with the first Catholic procession ever held through the streets of Cincinnati and including the confirmation of 362 persons.

The architecture
The architectural style of St. Mary's is eclectic. The engaged pilasters and classical entablature are in the Greek Revival style. The round windows of the facade add a touch of the Baroque, while the frames of the window and the ogive and quatrefoil openings in the tower show signs of the 19th century's growing interest in Romanesque and Gothic.

In 1842, a clock was installed in the steeple of St. Mary's. The original face and mechanism are still in place, but the weights and pendulum were removed when the clock was electrified over 100 years after its installation. St. Mary's is the oldest clock tower in Cincinnati, and one of the oldest in the United States.

The first bell was blessed and placed in the tower in 1843. It was cast in Cincinnati by Levi Coffin, who was head of the underground railroad and who personally helped over 3,000 slaves to escape to Canada. After it was installed, the bell served many years as the fire alarm for the northeastern section of the city.

The interior of the church is richly embellished both with works of art and objects of devotion. Especially noteworthy are three oil paintings of the Blessed Virgin Mary above the main altar. Fifteen feet high, the paintings are changed at appropriate seasons of the year, being hoisted into place by a system of pulleys. Visible under the high altar are the bones of a woman martyr discovered in 1844 in the Roman catacombs and brought to Cincinnati by Father Clemens Hammer, first pastor of St. Mary's.

The schools
No sooner was the church completed than the parish decided to build a school which opened in 1843. By 1847 there were already 600 students in the school. At that time the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur came to St. Mary's. Two more Catholic churches were established in Over-the-Rhine during the first decade, but St. Mary's continued to baptize 300-350 children a year. To relieve the overcrowding a boys' school was constructed at 12th and Clay Streets (since demolished). The boys' school was directed by Brother Maximin Zehler of the Brothers of Mary, who in 1862 became the first president of the University of Dayton.

The renovation
In 1864, the church was enlarged by the addition of a new sanctuary. For the parish's 50th anniversary in 1892, a major renovation was undertaken. Gas lights, hardwood floors, new pews, and a new heating system were installed. Hand-carved wooden statues and several oil paintings were brought from Vienna and Munich. Finally, a new organ was installed in 1929. The formidable instrument contains 2,275 pipes, including some from the organ once in Cincinnati Music Hall.

At the beginning of the 20th century, St. Mary's was at the height of its material prosperity. As the century progressed, however, the number of German immigrants to Over-the-Rhine declined and the former residents began to be assimilated in Cincinnati's broader society. These factors, combined with anti-German feeling during World War I, changed the character, of Over-the-Rhine. After the war, a new kind of immigration began as the former residents were gradually replaced by people from Appalachia. During the 1960's, urban destruction in Cincinnati's West End displaced many blacks into neighboring Over-the-Rhine.

Old St. Mary's Church is the oldest church still standing in the City of Cincinnati--a unique part of its historical and architectural heritage. It is also part of the spiritual inheritance entrusted to us: an enduring statement of faith, hope, and thanksgiving bequeathed by past generations as a challenge to those for whom they kept the faith.

Old St. Mary's Church complex is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Old Saint Mary
123 East Thirteenth St.
Cincinnati OH 45210-2338
(513) 721-2988

Copyright © 2000-Current Old St. Mary's Church. All rights reserved.
Revised: March 31, 2009 .

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