{"nrhp_refnum":"75001460","name":"First Church Of Christ, Scientist","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"309 East Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Elyria","county":"Lorain County","state":"OH","lat":41.36493410200006,"lon":-82.10414077299998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1975-07-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A large wood-frame building at 309 East Avenue in Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio, originally the Charles Johnston house and converted into a Christian Science church in 1906-1907.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is a unique stylistic pastiche from the eclectic period, mixing Queen Anne, Eastlake, Chateauesque, Neo-Classic and Late Gothic Revival elements. It holds that the design achieves a successful unity, largely through the massing of the roofs, which ties the older house to the new facade and towers. It is described as a distinguishable entity with important artistic values.","narrative":"Built as a large private house on the Charles Johnston estate, this wood-frame building in Elyria, Ohio, was bought by a Christian Science congregation in 1906 and remodeled into a church that opened for services on December 8, 1907. The conversion added a large rectangular wing to the west and a central facade block with a steep, almost Chateauesque roof. Two square corner towers turn octagonal on the second story and are joined by an arcaded portico with three pointed arches. Inside, the original house stairway with its curving balustrade rises from a wide foyer, and the auditorium is topped by a circular saucer dome. The building mixes Queen Anne, Eastlake, Chateauesque, Neo-Classic and Late Gothic Revival elements into something that fits none of those categories neatly. Its significance rests on this unusual pastiche, which holds together through the massing of its roofs. Consulting architects have repeatedly advised the congregation to keep its distinctive features.","period_of_significance":"1906-1907","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Unique mixture of Queen Anne, Eastlake, Chateauesque, Neo-Classic and Late Gothic Revival elements","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied and in use as a church; condition described as excellent, with alterations including a 1957 roof replacement, a 1966 porch and foyer, and removal of columns in 1973.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:10.048151-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/75001460.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001460/8796ccf3a6-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001460/8796ccf3a6-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"TnrSmith","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_Church_of_Christ,_Scientist.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">TnrSmith</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_Church_of_Christ,_Scientist.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"00001663","name":"Elyria Downtown-West Avenue Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/ohio/elyria-downtown-west-avenue-historic-district-00001663/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71989787","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Church_of_Christ,_Scientist_(Elyria,_Ohio)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5452674"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/lorain-county/first-church-of-christ-scientist-75001460/"}