St. Joseph Church : Historic Information

• Catholicism came to Circleville and Pickaway County with the advent of its first Catholic families in the early 1830’s.


• The initial Mass was offered in 1840 at the home of a Mrs. Turner. This First Eucharistic Liturgy was celebrated by Fr. Dominic Young. Before this Catholics traveled as far as Chillicothe for Mass, denoting the deep devotion and love of God held by our earliest families.


• The original church was started in 1843 and completed in 1846. It was located in E. Franklin Street, directly north of the Presbyterian Church.


• In 1850 Fr. Tschieder, a Jesuit priest was appointed as the first resident pastor. In 1854, a residence for the pastor was built beside the Church by Fr. Nicholas Thisse. In the same time frame Fr. John Duffy started the first choir.


• By 1856 it was necessary to secure a land for larger church structure to meet the needs of the rapidly growing parish. Edward Smith purchased a plot of ground on E. Mound Street and donated it to the community. The brick church was started that same year with the cornerstone laying ceremony conducted by Archbishop Purcell of Cincinnati.


• The brick church, costing $15,000.00 was dedicated in June 1886, by Bishop Rosecrans of Columbus and the church was completed in 1874. At this time the first rectory was erected under the guidance of Fr. D.B. Cull.


• In 1892 ground was purchased for the start of St. Joseph Cemetery when Fr. M.M. Meara was the pastor.


• On Sept. 5, 1909 the last Mass was celebrated in the brick church with 450 members present. Shortly after the liturgy the church was razed to start the process of building a new church.


• The cornerstone for the present church was laid on June 10, 1910 and was formally dedicated the following year by Bishop James Hartley. The builder of the church was Fr. John Hannan, one of the most loved and respected priests to serve the community. The cost of the church was $35,000.00 plus furnishing. The exterior of the church is pure Gothic and the interior is Tudor Gothic. The exterior is made of stone mined near Cleveland. It was built to seat 440 people, and there are 15 main windows and seven sanctuary windows all from Munich, Germany. The church is filled with marble work from Italy.


• The church tower stretches 101 feet into the sky and houses three bells, named in honor of St. Joseph, the Virgin Mary and St. Ann. In the late 1950’s the bells were automated.


• The church has seen two redecorations, one in 1960 and again in the mid-1970’s. The current rectory was built in the 1920’s and was recently remodeled. The community has just finished remodeling the Parish Hall.