St. Paul Church, Cincinnati
Located at the corner of Twelfth and Spring Streets in Cincinnati鈥檚 Pendleton neighborhood, Saint Paul Church is a striking remnant of the city鈥檚 German-Catholic heritage and an example of adaptive reuse done right. Established in 1848 by German-speaking parishioners from nearby Saint Mary鈥檚 Church, the church was born out of the growing need for a place of worship east of Clay Street. By 1850, the church stood tall, a 150-by-68-foot brick structure crowned with a tin-covered gabled roof.
Tragedy struck in 1899 when a fire destroyed much of the church. Miraculously, the original German-made stained glass windows and walls survived. Reconstruction was immediate, and a reborn Saint Paul鈥檚 reopened in 1900, featuring a luminous interior framed by twelve Corinthian columns and adorned with a Renaissance tower topped by a Pope鈥檚 Mitre cupola and gilded cross. Romanesque in style, the building also sports Doric pilasters and grand arched windows, with three elegant arched doorways facing Spring Street.
After being deconsecrated in 1974, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and recognized as the centerpiece of the Saint Paul Church Historic District. In 1981, The Verdin Company鈥攁 Cincinnati-based bell and clock manufacturer鈥攑urchased and restored the entire complex, transforming the church into a bell and clock museum and converting other buildings into art galleries. Their efforts earned them an award from the Ohio Historical Society in 1983 for outstanding preservation and reuse.
Today, under the care of Cafeo Hospitality, Saint Paul Church has entered yet another chapter of its story: it now serves as an atmospheric venue for weddings and corporate events, where echoes of its past mingle with modern celebration. Parish records are preserved at Old Saint Mary鈥檚 Church.
Tragedy struck in 1899 when a fire destroyed much of the church. Miraculously, the original German-made stained glass windows and walls survived. Reconstruction was immediate, and a reborn Saint Paul鈥檚 reopened in 1900, featuring a luminous interior framed by twelve Corinthian columns and adorned with a Renaissance tower topped by a Pope鈥檚 Mitre cupola and gilded cross. Romanesque in style, the building also sports Doric pilasters and grand arched windows, with three elegant arched doorways facing Spring Street.
After being deconsecrated in 1974, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and recognized as the centerpiece of the Saint Paul Church Historic District. In 1981, The Verdin Company鈥攁 Cincinnati-based bell and clock manufacturer鈥攑urchased and restored the entire complex, transforming the church into a bell and clock museum and converting other buildings into art galleries. Their efforts earned them an award from the Ohio Historical Society in 1983 for outstanding preservation and reuse.
Today, under the care of Cafeo Hospitality, Saint Paul Church has entered yet another chapter of its story: it now serves as an atmospheric venue for weddings and corporate events, where echoes of its past mingle with modern celebration. Parish records are preserved at Old Saint Mary鈥檚 Church.
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St. Paul Church on Map
Sight Name: St. Paul Church
Sight Location: Cincinnati, USA (See walking tours in Cincinnati)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Cincinnati, USA (See walking tours in Cincinnati)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Cincinnati, Ohio
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
The land that became Cincinnati had previously been occupied by Fort Washington. Before that, it was home to the Shawnee and other Native American tribes like the Miami, Ojibwe, and Lenape.
Founded in 1788, the city earned its name from the Society of the Cincinnati, the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles