St Mary of the Assumption is an 1864 Gothic Revival church in Lancaster, Ohio’s historic district and is one of the largest in the region of this type. It has undergone several renovations over the last century with Sanctuary and Nave remodelings. Among those alterations, the original Gothic reredos was removed and a newer Gothic reredos of similar aesthetic but poorer detailing was installed in the 1990’s to reestablish the church’s Gothic character lost in previous renovations.
Our new work properly details the main reredos and installs the tabernacle, formerly moved to a side chapel, back in the center of the reredos. The central painting of the Assumption accomplished in a Raphael style by a local artist is now flanked with new paintings by renowned classical painter James Langley of Savannah, Georgia. Two new designs for side shrines complimentary to the Sanctuary Gothic reredos incorporate existing devotional statues and newly commissioned illuminated paintings by Jed Gibbons of Chicago. In addition, we replaced the mid-century terrazzo wainscot panels in the Nave side aisles with Gothic wood wainscoting and integrated confessional frontispieces in quarter-sawn white oak. The project also includes decorative painting with Marian floral embellishments in a German Gothic aesthetic particularly at the vaulting bosses and spandrels while the Apse vaulting receives traditional stars in a blue background. Also included are remodeled confessionals and restrooms, new façade lighting and LED retrofitted interior lighting, restored pews and exterior doors.
In July of 2022, St Mary of the Assumption was named a Minor Basilica by Pope Francis. This designation was given in recognition of both its historic significance and its architectural beauty.
