Historic Catholic Churches of Cincinnati

Part V: 1920 – 1939

A nine part Sunday series on the still remaining and architecturally significant Catholic churches of Cincinnati from 1840 - 1969.

This series is an attempt to document every historic Catholic Church remaining in Cincinnati. This is not a list of every church, nor is it a history of each Parish. It is simply to serve as a reference for the date of dedication, the architect and style of the church buildings themselves. Included are those that I find to have architectural or historical merit from the Catholic Church’s earliest beginnings in Cincinnati to those churches built just after Vatican II.

In Part V we see one of the largest number of churches remaining in the City. Many of these churches replaced smaller temporary structures used when the parish was first founded. It is here too we first see the work of Edward J. Schulte and his first partner Robert Crowe. Cincinnati architect Schulte designed many area churches but he also designed churches, almost all of them Catholic, in as far away places as North Dakota, Texas, and New Mexico.

Our last two churches in this era are one of many mission churches that were initiated by Archbishop McNicholas (1925 – 1950) during the depression and that continued through World War II until his death in 1950. Construction of the mission churches was supervised by Brother Bertrand Bailey. He may have designed at least some of them but Schulte, along with others, appear likely to have been the architect of record.


St. Andrew
Avondale – 3401 Reading Road
Dedicated: 1920
Architect: Samuel Hannaford & Sons
Style: Gothic RevivalSt. Andrew was designed to have taller towers yet they were never completed.


St. Bernard
Winton Place – 735 Derby Avenue
Dedicated: 1920
Architect: John P. Sheblessy
Style: Spanish Revival

St. Catherine of Siena
Westwood – 2848 Fischer Place
Dedicated: 1922
Architect: Robert Crowe & Edward J. Schulte
Style: Romanesque Revival

St. Stephen
Columbia-Tusculum – 320 Donham Avenue
Dedicated: 1923
Architect: J. Charles Grunkemeyer
Style: Romanesque Revival
Located in the Columbia Tusculum National and Local Historic Districts

St. Boniface
Northside – 1750 Chase Avenue
Dedicated: 1927
Architect: Kunz & Beck
Style: Romanesque Revival

St. Pius
South Cumminsville – 1814 Dreman Avenue
Dedicated: 1927
Architect: Kunz & Beck
Style: Romanesque Revival
Closed in 1998

St. Monica – St. George
Clifton Heights – 328 West McMillan Street
Original Name: St. Monica
Dedicated: 1928
Architect: Edward J. Schulte & Robert Crowe
Style: Romanesque Revival

St. Louis
Downtown – 29 East 8th Street
Dedicated: 1928
Architect: Maginnis & Walsh
Style: Italian Romanesque Revival
A local historic landmark

St. Cecilia
Oakley – 3105 Madison Road
Dedicated: 1928
Architect: Edward J. Schulte & Robert Crowe
Style: Gothic Revival

St. Vincent De Paul
Riverside – 4026 River Road
Dedicated: 1923; Addition, 1929
Architect: Unknown
Style: Modified Romanesque Revival

Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Clifton – 3547 Clifton Avenue
Dedicated: 1930
Architect: Edward T. P. Graham
Style: Neo-Classical Revival
Located in the Clifton Avenue Historic District

St. William
Price Hill – 4108 West 8th Street
Dedicated: 1931
Architect: Joseph Steinkamp & Brother
Style: Romanesque Revival

St. Thomas Aquinas Church
Avondale – 3 Burton Woods Lane
Dedicated: 1936
Architect: Edward J. Schulte
Style: Colonial Revival
Closed in 1993; now used by the New School
An Archbishop McNicholas Mission ChurchServices were first held in the adjacent Robert Mitchell home beginning in 1927. The home was designed by Samuel Hannaford & Sons and completed in 1893. It is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. After the new church was completed in 1936, the home was used as the parish school.


Mother of God
Walnut Hills – 3015 Gilbert Avenue

Dedicated: 1939
Architect: Unknown
Style: Colonial Revival
Closed in 1961; now used by a day care facility

An Archbishop McNicholas Mission Church

References and the map Historic Catholic Churches of Cincinnati of every church mentioned in this series will be included in Part IX.

Next Sunday, May 17
Part VI: 1940 – 1969

Last Week: Part IV