{"nrhp_refnum":"76001682","name":"Guinston United Presbyterian Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"E of Laurel off PA 74","address_restricted":false,"city":"Laurel","county":"York County","state":"PA","lat":39.834481796000034,"lon":-76.49133893399994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1976-01-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A rectangular fieldstone rural church in the Laurel area of York County, Pennsylvania, built as a Presbyterian congregation's house of worship. The first log church on the site was erected in 1754, and the stone building followed about twenty years later.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is an excellent example of a rural Presbyterian church that has changed little inside or out, so it retains most of its original appointments. Its high pulpit and plain decoration are presented as reflecting the religious attitudes and way of life of the Scotch-Irish settlers of the Chanceford area.","narrative":"Set well up the slope above Muddy Creek in York County, Pennsylvania, the Guinston United Presbyterian Church is a rectangular fieldstone building. The first Guinston Church was a log structure erected in 1754. About twenty years later, a more prosperous congregation built the present stone church nearby. The building has a severe character typical of Scotch-Irish Presbyterian worship. Its main entrance is in the east gable end, and the paneled double doors are unusually wide. Radiating fieldstone arches top the doors and the round-arched windows along the long walls. The steep slate roof has a slight overhang. Inside, the high pulpit sits between the windows opposite the side entrance, and a second-story gallery runs around three sides on large chamfered wooden piers. The church served the Scotch-Irish settlers of the Chanceford area for over a hundred years. It is listed for its architecture and for how its plain design reflects the community's religious life.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Exterior and interior repair work began in 1972 and was described as nearly complete, with a few minor details still needing attention.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:30.136831-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/76001682.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76001682/cfa5681f3d-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76001682/cfa5681f3d-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Paul Galbreath","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guinston_United_Presbyterian_Church.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Paul Galbreath</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guinston_United_Presbyterian_Church.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71994995","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinston_United_Presbyterian_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5616612"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/york-county/guinston-united-presbyterian-church-76001682/"}