{"nrhp_refnum":"08000464","name":"Clinton African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (Additional Documentation)","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"9 Elm Ct.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Great Barrington","county":"Berkshire County","state":"MA","lat":42.19653783200005,"lon":-73.36276838099997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2008-05-29","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Black","Religion","Ethnic Heritage-Black","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A wood-frame church at 9 Elm Court in downtown Great Barrington, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, built in 1886 for an African Methodist Episcopal Zion congregation, with a parsonage added to the rear in 1939.","why_significant":"The church is significant for its link to the religious and cultural heritage of African Americans in Berkshire County and as a distinctive example of late-19th-century vernacular church architecture. It is also tied to W.E.B. Du Bois and his family's community. It is significant at the local level under Criteria A and C.","narrative":"Built in 1886 on Elm Court, one block west of Main Street in Great Barrington, this small wood-frame church was erected for the town's African Methodist Episcopal Zion congregation at a cost of about $2,000. It has a front-gabled roof, clapboard siding, bands of decorative shingles, and a three-stage corner bell tower with a pyramidal roof. A 1½-story parsonage was attached to the rear in 1939. Inside is one large room with a vaulted ceiling and exposed decorative trusses, with a stone-walled basement below. Over time the surroundings changed from a mixed residential neighborhood to the back of a dense commercial district. The church is recognized for its role in the religious and social life of African Americans in Berkshire County, including its congregation's struggles with finances and membership, and for its connection to W.E.B. Du Bois. It is also valued as a representative example of late Victorian vernacular church design in the region, with a period of significance from 1886 to 1958.","period_of_significance":"1886-1958","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Late Victorian: Shingle Style","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still used as a religious facility; the church has replacement windows, a covered porch and asphalt roofing, and the original rear vestry was absorbed into the 1939 parsonage addition.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:04.313943-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/80/7942/63794280/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/08000464.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/08000464/afbd55ce27-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/08000464/afbd55ce27-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Zinetv1","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clinton_African_Methodist_Episcopal_Zion_Church_1.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Zinetv1</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:Clinton_African_Methodist_Episcopal_Zion_Church_1.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63794280","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_African_Methodist_Episcopal_Zion_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16827114"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/berkshire-county/clinton-african-methodist-episcopal-zion-church-additional-documentation-08000464/"}