{"nrhp_refnum":"06000673","name":"First Congregational Church of Western Springs","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1106 Chestnut St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Western Springs","county":"Cook County","state":"IL","lat":41.81484120600004,"lon":-87.90310629099997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2006-08-08","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A church complex at 1106 Chestnut Street in Western Springs, Illinois, made up of a Lannon stone sanctuary built in 1929 and an Education Building completed in 1930, joined by a covered arched colonnade. George Grant Elmslie designed it, and Soderholm and Bodett Contractors of Oak Park built it.","why_significant":"The nomination is made under Criterion C for architecture. It treats the church as the work of architect George Grant Elmslie, and it combines Late Gothic Revival, Prairie School and English Country elements. The period of significance is 1929-1930, the years the sanctuary and Education Building were built.","narrative":"This church complex on Chestnut Street in Western Springs, Illinois, sits on a corner lot of about 42,000 square feet, set back behind a wide lawn. It has a cross-shaped sanctuary built in 1929 and an Education Building finished in 1930, linked by a covered arched colonnade. Both are built of sand-colored Lannon stone under slate roofs. George Grant Elmslie designed the church, and Soderholm and Bodett Contractors of Oak Park built it. The design mixes Gothic Revival forms with Prairie School features such as ribbon windows, organic wood ornament and stained glass in blue, purple and gold. Inside, Elmslie designed the stenciled ceiling and wall patterns, the carved wood pulpit, reredos and screens, and plaster details including a grape-motif frieze. Later work restored finishes using original drawings, photographs and surviving material. The church was recognized for its architecture and as the work of Elmslie, with 1929 to 1930 as its period of significance.","period_of_significance":"1929 - 1930","architect_builder":"Elmslie, George Grant, architect; Soderholm and Bodett Contractors, builder","architectural_style":"Late Gothic Revival, Prairie School, English Country","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"The property is still used for religious purposes. The text describes later restoration work, including replicated interior finishes, and a 1980 organ replacement.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:37.198989-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/40/8920/28892040/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/06000673.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000673/a06e8b52c4-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000673/a06e8b52c4-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"MrHarman","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_Congregational_Church_Western_Springs_IL_1.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">MrHarman</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:First_Congregational_Church_Western_Springs_IL_1.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28892040","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Congregational_Church_of_Western_Springs","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5452866"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/cook-county/first-congregational-church-of-western-springs-06000673/"}