Our Lady of Victory Church

Ohio Stadium and Our Lady of Victory share a quarry: Marble Cliff Quarry, formerly across the Scioto River from here. Growing out of Sylvio Casparis’s stone company, founded in 1892, it eventually became the country’s largest limestone operation. Ground was broken on Ohio Stadium in 1921, and it was built by the E.H. Latham Company with materials and labor reportedly from the quarry. At its completion in 1922, it was the largest poured concrete structure in the world. In addition to Ohio Stadium, stone from the quarry was used in  the Ohio Statehouse and the LeVeque Tower downtown, and the parish says its church was built of stone from the quarry as well. The church was dedicated in 1923, and its walls echo the local rock strata, with the oldest stones at the base. Casparis’s nearby stone house became the parish convent, which was torn down in 2004.

Historical information on both Our Lady of Victory and Sylvio Casparis can be found on the Marble Cliff Highlights walking tour.

Facade of Our Lady of Victory - take a look at the exterior stonework on your visit.  Source: Our Lady of Victory website.