Immaculate Conception, Ottoville

A fine collection of photos of the Ottoville church -- click HERE.

A Country Church Tour

Author Jane Ware has written two volumes on Ohio architecture, "Building Ohio." The second volume is a guide to Ohio rural architecture, and she has a good itinerary for seeing majestic churches in the southwestern part of the diocese:

- Begin at St. John the Baptist in Glandorf (west of Findlay on US 224).
- Continue west on US 224 to St. Michael's in Kalida.
- Still further west on US 224, visit Immaculate Conception in Ottoville.
- Turn south on St. Rt. 66 to see St. John's in Delphos.
- From Delphos, go west on St. Rt. 697, then turn south on St. Rt. 116 for Salem Presbyterian Church in Venedocia, a village of Welsh heritage.

The book has a lot of detail regarding the "Land of Cross Tipped Churches" further to the south as well. More information on the book HERE.

Immaculate Conception, Ottoville

Wonderful photos of Immaculate Conception church in Ottoville HERE.
And a photo of its dedication day (1888), with the previous church still standing, HERE.

Immaculate Conception, Ottoville

Immaculate Conception, Ottoville

Photos & information from the Putnam County Atlas, originally published in 1895

Rev. Michael Mueller was born January 21, 1833 (hey, Happy 175th Birthday) in Bavaria, Germany. He received a common school education in that country, then came to the United States in July 1852. He taught school in Huron, Washington and Crawford counties for four years, then attended Cleveland’s St. Mary’s Seminary for six years, followed by a year at St. Vincent Seminary in Westmoreland county, PA, then a year at Assumption College in Windsor, Canada, then back to St. Mary’s Seminary in Cleveland. His first assignment was at Rockford, Ohio in 1865, and in 1868 he arrived in Ottoville.

Mueller was “the great factor in planning, promoting and constructing this model church, and it will ever stand as a monument to his untiring energy and perseverance.”

Immaculate Conception, Ottoville

HERE'S a nice webpage on the church's history.

Immaculate Conception, Ottoville

Remarkable picture. It's called Ottoville Sunset and it's by Debra Joyce Dawson. You'll find prints of it, and a lot of other good pictures, at The Land We Call Ohio. They seem to have a painting for every county in the state, and Immaculate Conception Church, in Ottoville is a natural for any artist.