{"nrhp_refnum":"78000736","name":"All Souls Universalist Church","other_names":["Unitarian-Universalist Church of Riverside"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"3657 Lemon St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Riverside","county":"Riverside County","state":"CA","lat":33.98212644600005,"lon":-117.37145497699998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-09-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Religion"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A red sandstone church at Seventh and Lemon Streets in Riverside, California, built 1891-1892 for the All Souls Universalist congregation and designed by architect A. C. Willard. It is now used by the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Riverside.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is a lone example in Riverside, perhaps in California, of construction in red Permian sandstone from Arizona. It is described as the oldest Universalist or Unitarian church west of the Rocky Mountains and a record of early settlement. It is also tied to its founding pastor, Rev. George H. Deere, who supported education and civic life in the young city.","narrative":"Built in 1891 and 1892 at Seventh and Lemon Streets in Riverside, this church was designed by architect A. C. Willard and built by A. W. Boggs, with stonework by Richard Girdwood. Its walls are red sandstone from Flagstaff, Arizona, in a Norman Gothic design with large buttresses and a fifty-foot stone tower. Inside, the oak pews and pulpit furniture are carved, and a memorial window fills the north end. Seating is for about three hundred. Alterations have been minimal, including a switch from gas to electric lighting and plywood facing on the oak doors for security. Moisture has damaged some plaster in the vaulted ceiling. The nomination points to its unusual use of Arizona sandstone in California and to its standing as the oldest Universalist or Unitarian church west of the Rocky Mountains. It also reflects the work of founding pastor George H. Deere, who served on local education boards, and the community effort behind its construction. Riverside has designated it Cultural Heritage Board Landmark #3.","period_of_significance":"1891-1892","architect_builder":"A. C. Willard, Architect; A. W. Boggs, Richard Girdwood, Builders","architectural_style":"Norman Gothic","criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition listed as fair, with minimal alteration; moisture has damaged some original plaster in the vaulted ceiling and minor restoration is being assessed. The building is occupied and used as a church.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.723109-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/78000736.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78000736/7d50f9888e-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78000736/7d50f9888e-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Steve Rouhotas","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:All_Souls_Universalist_Church.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Steve Rouhotas</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:All_Souls_Universalist_Church.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860431","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universalist_Unitarian_Church_of_Riverside","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7894186"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/riverside-county/all-souls-universalist-church-78000736/"}