The Historic St. Patrick Church of Toledo with its Amhurst blue sandstone exterior was dedicated in April of 1901.

Back in December, I had a chance to do a little bit of shooting in Toledo, Ohio. Seemingly a classic Midwestern industrial town. But if that’s all you see there, you’re missing so much of the beauty of “The Glass City” and its architecture.

The Historic St. Patrick’s Church near downtown Toledo is a gem. Construction began in 1892 at the corner of S. 13th and Lafayette (now Avondale) Streets, the site of the original church building which by the previous year had declined to an unsafe state.

Wood carved scenes over the right and left exterior doors depict the Works of Mercy.

The Gothic structure that stands today took nearly nine years to complete from cornerstone to dedication. While the church was first used on Christmas Day 1900, it was formally dedicated four months later, on April 13, 1901, with a capacity of 1,400.

For more information on the church and parish, click here http://stpatshistoric.org to visit the Web site.