The style chosen for the building was Victorian Italian Romanesque using a Basilican plan. The dimensions from the exterior are 53 feet wide and 123 foot long. The building has clear height of 40 feet from the floor to the ceiling. It has a composition gable roof, Stone trim, and opus spicatum brick work. Opus Spicatum is an ornamental bond resulting from laying brick to project diagonally from the face of the wall in a saw tooth configuration. The Romanesque style, particularly the arches, gives the church a rich and distinctive character and makes the building itself one of the architectural gems of Houston.The main entrance consists of a triple set of double doors. The portal is flanked by double Corinthian stone columns. Although these columns are rather short, they support a large round arch.A large rose window is placed over the entry gable constructed of brick stepped arches. Each side and front clerestory window is round arched.You sentYou unsent a messageYou sentSt. Joseph's is a model of inner-city church revitalization. It exists not only as a significant life force for Houston's inner city community, but also its interesting background and distinctive Romanesque style make it a valuable contribution to Houston's history, culture, and architecture.In 1981, St. Joseph's Church was listed on the National Registry of History Places and in 1988 as a Texas Historic Landmark.
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