In 1834, Father Johann Wilhelm Horstmann and other settlers immigrated from Glandorf, Germany, to Putnam County, Ohio.

They acquired a tract of land from the government, and established the town of Glandorf along with the first Catholic church in Putnam County.

[2][3] The congregation quickly outgrew the original building and, in 1837, a larger hewn-log church was dedicated to St John the Baptist.

It contained "figurines from Austria, stained glass windows imported from Munich, Germany, and a highly detailed pulpit which was purchased for $1,400 at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia", according to Michael Leach, who wrote a book on the church's history.

The $1.2 million project involved preventive measures such as fiberglassing the interior walls, painting, and installing updated storm windows to protect the stained glass.