{"nrhp_refnum":"06000009","name":"Westervelt Christian Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"103 W. Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Westervelt","county":"Shelby County","state":"IL","lat":39.48133926100007,"lon":-88.85976765499998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2006-02-09","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story red brick Classical Revival church at 103 West Main Street in Westervelt, Shelby County, Illinois, built in 1921 and designed by local architect Charles Harris.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is a good local example of Classical Revival architecture, reflecting the major features of the style as used from the 1890s to the 1920s. It stands out in Westervelt for its dominant temple-front portico. It also meets the religious property consideration because its importance comes from architectural distinction.","narrative":"This two-story red brick church at 103 West Main Street in Westervelt, a small community in Shelby County, Illinois, was built in 1921 to a Classical Revival design by local architect Charles Harris. Its east front is dominated by a pedimented portico with two-story Doric columns and brick pilasters, and similar pedimented bays appear on the north and south sides. Inside, a two-story auditorium has a curved pulpit wall, balconies, a coffered ceiling and a large stained glass window. Harris, a University of Illinois graduate who designed many central Illinois churches, used rounded walls, placed supports and exposed ceiling beams to improve acoustics. The congregation had first met in the IOOF Lodge Building, and the church was dedicated in 1923. It also served as a civic center for lectures and graduations. It was listed for its architecture as a good local example of Classical Revival style, distinguished from Harris's other work in town by its temple front. The building remains in religious use with few alterations.","period_of_significance":"1921","architect_builder":"Harris, Charles","architectural_style":"Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals: Classical Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Still used as a religious facility; the form reports excellent integrity with no major exterior alterations.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:37.610331-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/11/8941/28894111/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/06000009.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000009/d9b3349462-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000009/d9b3349462-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Westervelt_Christian_Church,_southern_side.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Westervelt_Christian_Church,_southern_side.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28894111","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westervelt_Christian_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7988587"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/shelby-county/westervelt-christian-church-06000009/"}