St. Peter Catholic Church

St. Peter’s Church, completed in 1907, was constructed to replace an earlier church of the same name and was originally envisioned by Dean Hartnedy to be "Not only the finest and largest church edifice in the city, but the finest and largest in the diocese of Columbus." Early proposals described it to be one-quarter the size of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, underscoring the ambition of the project. The appointed architect, Emil Ulrich, was a French-born practitioner trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and emigrated to the United States in 1894, establishing a successful architectural firm in Cleveland, Ohio.

The resulting structure is monumental in scale and design, reflecting a French Renaissance style. It features twin towers rising to a height of 145 feet, a central aisle that spans 75 feet in length, and, crowning the high altar, a 95-foot-high dome. Structural components of the roof, towers, and dome were sourced regionally, including the Amherst sandstone and local steel. Of particular significance are the church’s fifteen stained glass windows, which depict the Mysteries of the Rosary and were imported from Munich. Additional liturgical elements include sanctuary steps fashioned from marble and communion railings composed of white marble interspersed with panels of golden Sienna marble. 

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As part of a broader decorative renewal initiative led by the ecclesiastical design studio MPSB, SL Design was contracted to develop a comprehensive decorative program. This included the creation of four original wall patterns to be implemented throughout the sanctuary, nave, and shrines, as well as the development of a unified color story and decorative painting scheme for the church’s interior. The project also required the preparation of a mural mockup to be installed above the high altar, depicting St. Peter preaching in the streets,  intended to be executed by a liturgical mural artist.

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