In July of 1979, over sixty buildings representing the German Catholic settlements of southern Auglaize and Mercer Counties, as well as portions of northern Darke and Shelby Counties, were placed on a National Register of Historic Places. Consisting of churches, schools, rectories and convents, this grouping is symbolic of the cultural and historical; uniqueness of the region. Today, these structures remind us of the hard work and dedication of these early settlers as they built the Miami-Erie Canal and forged a new life on the area’s rich and productive farmland. Trips through the rural countryside follow the quaint churches with their cross tipped “spires to heaven” and include stops at the focal points of the region: the former convent at Maria Stein; St. Augustine Church – the original Mother Church of the area at Minster and St. Charles center, the magnificent and impressive former seminary at Carthagena. ODOT Story Map