It’s impossible not to notice Sacred Heart Church when passing through Bellevue. Easily the tallest building in the city with its massive, active bell tower, the church has an unmistakable presence in the little river community. Neighbors I’ve talked to speak about it the way Cincinnatians speak about Union Terminal or the Tyler-Davidson Fountain; they regard it as an important feature of the city’s heritage that’s worth respecting and admiring in equal measures.
Renovation efforts have encased the facade and spire in metal scaffolding and made that corner of Taylor and Division tricky for pedestrians for awhile now. I scarcely remember what that corner looked like without the makeshift tunnels shading the sidewalk beneath. Though efforts are ongoing, several stories of the scaffolding have since been removed from the top of the structure, revealing a clear line of sight to the top of the dome. Hopefully we’ll get to see the exterior fully revealed sooner than later.
As an avid walker, I pass by Sacred Heart often on my trips out with the dog. Though I’ve crossed its path countless times, I’ve never had the opportunity to go inside. Thankfully, Bellevue Alliance was my portal to asking Father Martin Pitstick if I could swing by with my camera and tripod to capture Bellevue’s architectural icon. We agreed to a time and he let me in, gave me some brief history (more on that at the bottom of this post), and let me loose.
I spent about 45 minutes inside. Below are the images I made during my time there.
Thank you, Father Pitstick, for letting me photograph this little formidable piece of Bellevue history.
The building that stands today was erected in 1892-93, though the congregation dates back nearly 20 years prior. Germans were the driving force behind the establishment of Sacred Heart, otherwise known as Herz Jesu Kirche. The architect, Louis Pickett, is known for having designed Cincinnati’s oldest Catholic parish’s church, St. Xavier, on Sycamore Street. The style is intentionally reminiscent of common architecture found at the time in Bavaria in an effort to make Bellevue’s German Catholic population feel at home.
At one time, the church stood the tallest of any in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. However, its original steeple didn’t survive a destructive tornado in 1915 and had to be reconstructed.
A historical, double-sided plaque a few steps south of the church has more information about the church, and a little bit of additional history can be found here.