Catholic Architecture and History of Toledo, Ohio

Monday, December 31, 2007

Immaculate Conception, Old South End

The Nativity window.

Immaculate Conception, Old South End

The side entrance on Maumee Street.

Immaculate Conception, Old South End

The vaulting in the Sacred Heart Chapel.

Immaculate Conception, Old South End

The tower staircase outside the choir loft.

The Plot Thickens

St. Mary's, in Edgerton, is looking more like an undiscovered treasure every day.
Kevin Hammer has discovered that two murals and a triptych altarpiece, there, were painted, in 1945, by John de Rosen, one of the 20th century's greatest painters of religious art. According to my source, the triptych is painted on a gilt background.
John de Rosen painted some of the murals in the cathedral, as well as at the cathedral in St. Louis. Possibly his most well-known work is the apse mosaic at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in Washington. There'll be more on him later in the week.
Regular commenter "Holler" ( There's a story behind that moniker, but it's classified. ) confirms that St. Mary's is "spectacular". I have absolute confidence in his ability to spot a good church, though we might disagree on the level of some of the bad ones. He also reminded me of another story from my source. Apparently, the woodwork in the church was made from lumber harvested on land belonging to the parishioners. I've been told each family signed a piece of it.
This one must be photographed, come hell or high water.

The Leeper-Geddes House, Old West End

The Leeper-Geddes House was designed, in 1903, by Norval Bacon for coal magnate Clarence A. Leeper. It later belonged to the Geddes family. If you're old enough to recall the actress Barbara bel Geddes, "Miss Ellie" from Dallas, she was a member of that family.

The Leeper-Geddes House was home to the bishops of Toledo for a number of years.

Photos: Toledo-Lucas County Public Library

The Wise Virgins' Award

....for good use of lighting, goes to St. Mary's, in Norwalk. What can I say? I love those blue lights.

The Orange Bong Award...

...with a marijuana leaf cluster for extra effort, goes to St. Paul's, in Norwalk. The cluster is added for having the worst resurrifix I've ever seen. It's not easy to make Our Lord look like he'd fit in at Woodstock, but it's been done here.

The primary thrust of the Orange Bong Award is to recognize the worst example of wreckovation. In that department, St. Paul's wins hands down for turning a nice, though a bit cluttered Victorian church into something that looks like a 60's flower child's wildest fantasy of a place to play their tambourines and get stoned.

St. Joseph, Paulding

Silent Night

I posted some pictures relating to the song at Frozen Music

Sunday, December 30, 2007

The "Knowing when to Stop" Award

The award for taking a Victorian profusion of decoration to just the point where it reaches perfection, and then stops goes to St. Patrick's in the Warehouse District. One more statue might be too much. If you'd had as many dowager aunts as I had, you'd realize just what a great accomplishment that is.

St. Peter, Archbold

This is different, especially the towers. The transept's uncommonly wide, too. Would someone please tell me it hasn't been torn down?

Immaculate Conception, Old South End

I ended up in the choir loft after Mass, this morning and took the usual massive number of pictures. I'm afraid the loft is an experience I try to avoid. It's part of the original plan of the church and was designed by Edward O. Fallis. He had an odd way with balconies of any kind, as anyone who's been on the one he built for the Valentine Theater will know. It's like stepping over the top of a ski slope.

Immaculate Conception, Old South End

Waiting in the Wings

I found the Three Magi cooling their heels in the Sacred Heart Chapel, at Immaculate Conception in the Old South End, this morning, and couldn't resist taking pictures.