{"nrhp_refnum":"71000250","name":"Christ Episcopal Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"538-566 Walnut St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Macon","county":"Bibb County","state":"GA","lat":32.83855305000003,"lon":-83.62635875499996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1971-07-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Christ Episcopal Church is a Gothic revival parish church at 538-566 Walnut Street in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia. The present building was consecrated in 1852, and a parish house was added in 1926.","why_significant":"The nomination presents the church as the oldest in the Atlanta Episcopal Diocese, with a history that closely parallels that of Macon. It is also described as one of the finest examples of parish church architecture, noted for its unpretentious simplicity and well-massed design. Prominent Macon citizens belonged to the parish, and poet Sidney Lanier married there in 1867.","narrative":"Christ Episcopal Church, at 538-566 Walnut Street in Macon, is a Gothic revival parish church consecrated on May 2, 1852. Its most prominent feature is a central tower with corner buttresses, an arched entrance and battlements, which are recent but copy the original ones. The walls are plastered masonry in a pink-beige tone, and a cloister links the church to the 1926 parish house. Inside are a vaulted sanctuary, a wood-trussed roof, a rear gallery and stained glass windows. The congregation was organized in 1825, two years after Macon was laid out, and is described as the oldest church in the Atlanta Episcopal Diocese. A first church built in 1834 was replaced after the congregation outgrew it, and bricks from the old building were reused. Members included many prominent Maconites, and poet Sidney Lanier married Mary Day here in 1867. The church bell was melted for Confederate cannon balls. The building was remodeled in the 1920s and is praised for its simple, dignified design.","period_of_significance":"19th Century (specific date 1852)","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Gothic revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed in good condition and unaltered on the original site; described as having received respectful care through the years.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:40.791447-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_GA/71000250.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/71000250/368d663401-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/71000250/368d663401-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Timkemp","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_Episcopal_Church_(best).JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Timkemp</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:Christ_Episcopal_Church_(best).JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"74000658","name":"Macon Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/georgia/macon-historic-district-74000658/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/93206996","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Church_(Macon,_Georgia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q94608856"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/georgia/bibb-county/christ-episcopal-church-71000250/"}