Fire Devastates Historic St John Church in Maria Stein, Ohio

A major fire struck on May 29, 2025 the Church of St. John the Baptist in Maria Stein, Ohio, an event that raises important considerations for fire safety professionals, especially those involved with historic structures.

The fire, which broke out on the afternoon of Thursday, completely devastated the historic building. The church, built in 1891, was the third in the parish and was dedicated on November 11, 1891. It was an example of the Romanesque architectural style, built of brick with sandstone trim. Its dimensions were remarkable: nearly 140 feet in length and 60 feet across the transept. Its construction cost in 1891 was $40,135, the equivalent of approximately $1.4 million today.

During the fire, the wooden bell tower collapsed while engulfed in flames, and aerial footage showed the roof completely destroyed. Local firefighters have called the building a total loss. Despite their best efforts, the structure could not be saved.

At this time, it is still unclear how the fire started. However, it has been reported that work to replace the roof tiles was underway at the time of the fire, a detail that deserves attention in the investigation into the cause.

In the aftermath of the fire, experts were quick to arrive on site. Although the damage was described as severe, initial assessments suggested that “the integrity of the walls may not have been compromised”. Restoration specialists were confident that “more could be saved than meets the eye”, a point that is crucial to discussions about the preservation and reconstruction of historic structures damaged by fire.

This incident at Maria Stein serves as a stark reminder of the unique challenges that fires pose to historic structures and the importance of considering period construction features in both prevention and response. The assessment and restoration process will be long and difficult, but the early hopes for saving the walls offer an important perspective for future work.