St. Peters Church is an historic Catholic church that is located at 60 S. Mulberry Street in Mansfield, Ohio.
History
The first Catholic mass was celebrated in Mansfield in 1850, and shortly after, Mansfield's Catholic community purchased its first building, a former Methodist church. The parish built its first church in 1870, which burned down in 1889. Shortly after the fire, an impromptu combination church-school building was built adjacent to the current building. By the early 20th century, though, the parish had outgrown its quarters, and land was acquired for a new church. Prolific church architect William P. Ginther was commissioned to design the church, and the cornerstone was laid by Bishop of ClevelandJohn Patrick Farrelly on May 14, 1911. Ginther saw the neo-baroque St. Peter's as a "architectural cousin" to his neo-romanesqueSt. Bernard’s Church in Akron. Due to delays caused by the First World War, the church was finally dedicated on September 16, 1917. It has an ornate, baroque interior. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.[2]
The church falls under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo, whose current bishop is the Most Reverend Daniel Thomas. The parish also owns a school, St. Peter's Catholic School, which was founded as a high school in 1958. As of 2024, the school has 228 students enrolled in K-12 classes.[3]
