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Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church

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Coordinates: 41°53′45″N 80°48′13″W / 41.89583°N 80.80361°W / 41.89583; -80.80361
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Mother of Sorrows Church
Front of the church, seen from the southwest
Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church is located in Ohio
Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church
Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church is located in the United States
Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church
Location1500 W. 6th St., Ashtabula, Ohio
Coordinates41°53′45″N 80°48′13″W / 41.89583°N 80.80361°W / 41.89583; -80.80361
AreaLess than 1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1898 (1898)
ArchitectWilliam P. Ginther
Architectural styleRomanesque Revival
NRHP reference No.95000170[1]
Added to NRHPMarch 9, 1995

Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church is a historic Catholic church at 1500 W. 6th Street in Ashtabula, Ohio, United States. It was built in the 1890s for a newly established parish and has gained both local and federal designation as a historic site.

The Mass was first celebrated in Ashtabula Harbor in 1878, during the summer only in the early years; the first place of worship was a grocery store. Out of this gathering, a parish was established in 1890 and dedicated to St. Mary under her title of "Mother of Sorrows".[2] Constructed in 1898 in the Romanesque Revival style of architecture,[1] the church was designed by William P. Ginther, an Akron-based architect who specialized in ecclesiastical architecture.[3] Both the foundation and the walls are sandstone, the roof is asphalt, and glass forms a significant part of the exterior.[1] The church occupies a corner lot, and large gables with massive windows face both streets. A square tower with battlements is placed at the corner facing the intersection; the main entrance is set in the tower's base, and a belfry occupies the top third of the tower.[4]

In 1995, Mother of Sorrows was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, qualifying because of its historically significant architecture.[1] In 1978, the city of Ashtabula created the Harbor Historical District, which since a 2010 boundary adjustment has embraced Mother of Sorrows Church and much of the rest of the Ashtabula Harbor neighborhood. Along with the other National Register properties in the district, Mother of Sorrows is protected by city ordinance from significant modifications.[5] Administratively, Mother of Sorrows is overseen by the city's Our Lady of Peace Parish. It no longer uses Mother of Sorrows properties such as its former rectory, school and some parking lots. In 2014, it applied to the city to change zoning on nine plots for potential redevelopment for retail and multi-family residential use. Some residents opposed rezoning, saying it would adversely affect work to stabilize the neighborhood. There was agreement to leave at least some parking to support community use of the church. In early 2017 Pastor of Our Lady of Peace Parish, Rev. Ray Thomas made the announcement that Bishop George Murry of the Diocese of Youngstown ordered the parish to close two of the three churches. Currently[when?] no churches have been named but many[who?] fear Mother of Sorrows and St. Joseph Churches will close. This would leave Our Lady of Mt. Carmel to serve the community of Ashtabula as the only Catholic Church.

As of 2022, Mother of Sorrows and St. Joseph Church were both closed and only to be used for 2 masses a year under Bishop David Bonner. In 2024 Mother of Sorrows had some of its ceiling fall into the church, leaving many to believe the building has structure damage. Fr. John Keehner, Pastor of Our Lady of Peace Parish is waiting on an independent study by the diocese whether to premaritally close the church. At this point in time, it looks to be the direction and fate of the historic church. [6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ Borsvold, David (2003). Ashtabula. Arcadia. p. 15.
  3. ^ "Ginther, William P. (1912). The Ohio Architect Engineer and Builder. 20 (6): 17–32. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ "Mother of Sorrows Church". Ohio Historical Society. 2007. Retrieved 2010-02-14.
  5. ^ "The Ashtabula Harbor Historical District: How Historic District Zoning Affects You" (PDF). City of Ashtabula. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-28. Retrieved 2014-12-28.
  6. ^ Terry, Shelley (2014-02-28). "Planning Commission Recommends Former Mother of Sorrows Properties Go Commercial". Ashtabula Star Beacon. Archived from the original on 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2014-12-28.
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