{"nrhp_refnum":"11000199","name":"Tindley Temple United Methodist Church","other_names":["East Calvary United Methodist Church","Calvary United Methodist Church"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"750-762 S Broad St","address_restricted":false,"city":"Philadelphia","county":"Philadelphia","state":"PA","lat":39.94341790900006,"lon":-75.16605786599996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2011-04-15","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Black","Social History"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A masonry Methodist church on the west side of South Broad Street in central Philadelphia, with a lot running through to Rosewood Street. The main church was designed by Ballinger & Company and built between 1923 and 1928, with a two-story school and office addition completed in 1962-1963.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is significant for its association with Reverend Charles Albert Tindley, a leading figure in Philadelphia's African American religious and social life during the period 1916-1929. It cites his combination of preaching with community services, his political influence, and the 1927 renaming of the congregation after him as the building that best expresses his significance.","narrative":"Built between 1923 and 1928 on Broad Street in central Philadelphia, Tindley Temple United Methodist Church is a masonry church of tan and buff brick with limestone trim and flat roofs with parapets. Its main sanctuary was designed to hold 3,200 worshippers and has a reinforced concrete balcony, stained glass windows, and a large baptismal pool. A school and office addition was built on the south in 1962-1963. The church is significant for its association with Reverend Charles Albert Tindley, who led the congregation from 1902 until his death in 1933. Tindley was known for combining sermons with social programs, including housing and job training for migrants arriving from the South during the Great Migration. He also became an influential voice in political affairs affecting Pennsylvania's Black community. The congregation renamed itself Tindley Temple in 1927, and the building is considered the most fitting physical link to his public career.","period_of_significance":"1924-1933","architect_builder":"Ballinger Company (architect); Robert E. Lamb Company (contractor); John S. McQuade Company (contractor)","architectural_style":"Beaux Arts Romanesque and Art Deco (original church); International Style (addition)","criteria":["B"],"status_note":"The document describes the building as being in generally good condition and retaining integrity of materials, workmanship, and design.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:10:27.314855-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/11000199.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/11000199/17a244b0cb-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/11000199/17a244b0cb-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Smallbones","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tindley_Temple.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Smallbones</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tindley_Temple.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71993811","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tindley_Temple_United_Methodist_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7808062"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia/tindley-temple-united-methodist-church-11000199/"}