{"nrhp_refnum":"04000609","name":"Zion's Evangelical Lutheran Church","other_names":["Obetz Christian Church"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"4501 Groveport Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Obetz","county":"Franklin County","state":"OH","lat":39.87616703200007,"lon":-82.94775122499999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2004-06-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story, gable-front Romanesque Revival brick church at 4501 Groveport Road in Obetz, Franklin County, Ohio, built in 1873 for a Lutheran congregation and now used as Obetz Christian Church.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is an excellent local example of Romanesque Revival church architecture in southern Franklin County. It is the only nineteenth-century church still standing in Obetz and was the only Lutheran church in Hamilton Township. It also reflects the substantial Lutheran presence in Franklin County in the 19th century.","narrative":"Built in 1873 on Groveport Road in the village of Obetz, this brick church began as the home of a Lutheran congregation descended from early settlers of the area. The one-story, gable-front building rests on a sandstone foundation and rises to a 110-foot steeple covered in patterned slate. Arched window and door openings, brick corbelling, brick piers and symmetrical windows mark it as Romanesque Revival. Stained glass windows with religious symbols line the sides, and the interior has oak woodwork, pews and altar, a pressed metal ceiling and a carved wooden eagle lectern. The congregation sold the church in 1962 to a Disciples of Christ congregation, and it has served two denominations since. Local inventory records show no comparable Romanesque Revival buildings in Hamilton Township, and it is the only nineteenth-century church still standing in Obetz. It remains in regular use, with its original appearance largely intact.","period_of_significance":"1873-1913","architect_builder":"Unknown","architectural_style":"Late Victorian / Romanesque Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"In good condition, with some maintenance and steeple repair needed; used for church services every Sunday and at other times.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:07.015437-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/04000609.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04000609/640ed416d5-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04000609/640ed416d5-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Strongdar","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zions_Evangelical_Lutheran_4.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Strongdar</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zions_Evangelical_Lutheran_4.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71988384","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138337443"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/franklin-county/zions-evangelical-lutheran-church-04000609/"}