Statues and Sharon Conglomerate

Sharon conglomerate with pebbles

Saint Vincent de Paul, Akron Ohio is the oldest Catholic parish in the city, and the second oldest Catholic church. The parish began in the Cincinnati diocese in 1837; ten years later it was included in the daughter diocese of Cleveland. This was in the river canal age. The first parishioners were farmers, and ditch diggers of the Ohio and Erie Canal.

During the War for the Union the parish halved, the Germans began building St. Bernard of Clairvaux in 1862. At the time, Bavaria had a king. Ludwig sent $500. St. Vincent's laid the cornerstone of their present church on 17 March 1864. St. Vincent was built in sandstone blocks of Sharon conglomerate, containing pebbles and other accretions. Work was suspended during the War for the Union. It was finished in 1867.

During the Hitlerite and Japanese War, a major remodeling of the entire building took place. The center steps were replaced with a patio and a wall of Berea sandstone [this is a visual mistake]. A restoration of the mortar joints began in 1984, and a deep stone washing in 1997. Other changes occurred inside also. While driving on Interstate 77 the steeple of the church is an handsome landmark.
The front of the church has three stone ornaments of faces, and two statues in niches. I do not know an accurate historical description survives of the stonework. I have seen jumbled ones. The left and right faces are those of regular men, the left one is laurelled. Jesus in an ecce homo presentation is crowned with thorns. Now, these heads are all the capstones above windows. The windows are rounded arches, and therefore the building style is Romanesque [revival]. On the two long sides of the church there are twelve grotesque heads as capstones.












The parish's patrons are in the niches. To the left is a statue of St. Vincent de Paul and an orphan infant; to the right is St. Patrick.