Old St. Mary's Church

I had long assumed that I was at a disadvantage with my unfamiliarity with the City of Cincinnati and what it contained since I am not a native to the area. Upon my first arrival to Over the Rhine, I was aware of the massive gentrification taking the area by storm and had an image in my mind of young adults roaming the streets in which small businesses competed for the most ‘hip’ and ‘trendy’ store front. While the image I had in my mind was reality in some areas of OTR, I was pleasantly taken aback when I reached the corner of Clay St. and East 13th where Old St. Mary’s Church situated. Although the white façade with its 170-foot steeple were covered in scaffolding, I was still able to see the simple Greek revival church which boasted subtle gothic details. Walking towards the side entrance of the church, I had anticipated a quaint catholic church with simple detailing such as the exterior. Massive stain glass windows with simple detailing flanked by wooden Greek columns designed to look like marble all lead up to the ceiling which gave off the allusion of appearing 3D. It is not until one goes to the back of the church underneath the massive organ, that you can truly appreciate the overall composition of the church. Amid Over the Rhine, there is a hidden treasure of wonderfully preserved Pre-Vatican II detailing’s of the Catholic Church inside what appears a simple church on the outside. This contrast is what caught my attention at Old St. Mary’s Church.