The Famous Architect and Innovative Designer
The church was designed by the architectural firm of Murphy & Olmsted of Washington, D.C. The cost was $200,000, a large sum for any church in those days. Plans were originally drawn up in 1919. An eye-catching framed lithograph from the architects can be seen hanging on the wall in the vestibule of the church.
The architect was a well-known Catholic architect from Wisconsin, Fred Murphy (1879-1958). He was also a respected professor of architecture at the Catholic University of America from 1911 to 1949, where he was the founder and director of their School of Architecture and Planning.
The "boots on the ground" associate architect from Dayton was W.L. Jaekle, recognized locally for his brilliant church designs. He also designed the exterior of the nearby Holy Rosary church and the church of St. John and St. Anthony of Padua, all in Dayton.
The interior of the church walls were decorated by the architectural sculptor, John Joseph Earley. He is remembered for his innovative technique of beautifying the interior with a slight covering of the walls and ceiling with a special surface texture of exposed aggregate and concrete.
This was made from a mixture that consisted of infusing concrete with fragmented quartz stones, then scraping away the surface of the concrete during the drying process in order to further expose the stones as the concrete would set. This gave a stony-type surface that was then painted. The result was a surface that was unusually strong and crack resistant.
The local Catholic newspaper, known as the Catholic Telegraph recorded this at the time of the church's dedication in 1926:
"The beautiful new church, Romanesque in design, is distinctive from any other in the city, in the finish of the interior, which is produced by a mixture of cement and crushed colored marble, with rose and delicate blue tints predominating. Infinite care has been taken in the numerous designs, inlaid by this process. Thirteen large columns, forty feet high, are made entirely of the mixture. Over the altar is the Holy Family group, and at either side, life size figures of St. Peter and St. Paul, all inlaid by this process. Sacred Heart Church, Washington, D. C., is the only other church in the country, finished in the same way."
As the article mentions, the same technique can be seen at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, D.C., built in 1922. This method is today known as the Mo-Sai technique.
The Interior Altars and Decoration
The interior is Roman basilica style, in typical Romanesque Revival of that era. Thankfully all original elements have survived.
The low positioned main altar is free-standing, a typical custom that began to be popular in those years, a direct influence from the Liturgical Movement in Europe.
The main altar is in true Roman form, large and long in shape with oversized matching bronze altar cross and candlesticks, a sight almost from any church built at the same time in other parts of the world. The central bronze crucifix can be rightfully described as a masterpiece of metalwork. On the far side of the candlesticks on each size are large matching vigil lanterns, as an endcap on each side, also very Roman. The tabernacle is matching.
In typical 1920s style, there are whimsical hints of the Art Deco, seen in the side altars, marbled pulpit, and very long communion rail that survived thankfully intact. The same influences can also be seen in the baptistry, thankfully also preserved intact.
In 1925, Pope Pius XI had just instituted the Feast of Christ the King as a Day of Consecration to the Sacred Heart. Therefore, this theme is prominent in the sanctuary, with a gold-tone Art Deco statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Similarly, a statue of the same can be seen on the outside facade.
The Muralist and Stunning Apse Painting
Following the World War II, there was an excess of green paint that was made available after the war. Frequently churches purchased the paint, at a discount, as was the case with the cathedral of Boston. The same occurred in Dayton, where the wartime paint was put to good use.
When the church was dedicated in 1926, the interior was left unfinished due to lack of funds. Therefore, it was not until the late 1940s that the inside of the church was decorated in splendor. The artist was a local muralist by the name of Gerhard J. Lamers (1871-1964), an immigrant from near Aachen, Germany who first arrived in the United States in 1925.
The artist decided to put down roots in Ohio where he found work as a church painter. Holy Family became dear to his heart and it actually became his parish. When he died at age 93, his funeral was at Holy Family, under the gaze of the paintings he breathed life into. He lived in the neighborhood at 925 Pursell, just a five-minute drive from the church in the Prince Hill neighborhood of Dayton.
Lamers painted many murals in Germany and 60 murals throughout the U.S. His works include the Annunciation in Clifton. One of his last works was the nuns' chapel at St. William church, Prince Hill. His training he received at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, which in those years (the 1890s) was one of the most important institutions that trained church artists.
The "Jesse tree" apse mural above the sanctuary is a fascinating depiction of the genealogy of Christ, with the Holy Family depicted in the middle, but with a twist. St. Anne features prominently in the middle with Our Lady and the Christ Child. St. Joseph is off to one side and St. Joachim on the other.
Christ arises from the stem of a lily, symbolized by the flower, Our Lady is symbolized by the stem.
At the top angels play musical instruments in celebration of the scene, with God the Father at the top.
Jesse of Bethlehem is reclining or asleep, perhaps an analogy from Adam when his rib was removed. From Jesse's side there springs the vine which ascends, branching out on either side with scrolling foliage, ascending vertically.
The Jesse tree is named after Jesse, the father of King David, because of the prophecy in Isaiah 11:1 which describes the Messiah as a "shoot" that will "spring from the stem of Jesse." From this lineage is brought Christ the King.
Isaiah 11:1 reads thus: "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots" ("et egredietur virga de radice Iesse et flos de radice eius ascendet").
The image serves as a visual genealogy tracing Jesus's lineage from Jesse through the Old Testament to his birth, representing the fulfillment of God's promise
The various figures depicted in the lineage of Christ are drawn from those names listed in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Matthew in descending order, and Luke in ascending order.
Another Historic Church Saved
On the day the new church was dedicated, the parish had 400 registered families. For the Mass of dedication, one-thousand faithful were in attendance. The parish had experienced nothing but growth since it was founded in 1905. Then came decades of urban blithe and decay. The historic old homes remain, but the neighborhood demographics have changed.
Regeneration is a beautiful thing. Amid church and school closures and mergers, the building was saved in 2010 when it was entrusted by the local ordinary to the care of the FSSP. Visiting here brings great joy. The community is thriving, where liturgical arts and sacred music are fostered with great care for the benefit of all those who are led here. So far, the old Latin Mass has proved a very effective tool to pass on the Faith to the next generation. We thank everyone in this community for their hard work and dedication. Congratulations on the occasion of 100 years!
