{"nrhp_refnum":"78002365","name":"Union Church and Burial Ground","other_names":["Old Mud Church"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"E. Presqueisle St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Philipsburg","county":"Centre County","state":"PA","lat":40.89814793100004,"lon":-78.21738009499995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-05-23","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Exploration/Settlement","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A small Gothic-style church and burial ground on Laurel Street in Philipsburg, Centre County, Pennsylvania. The original log schoolhouse and meetinghouse dates from 1820 and was enlarged and remodelled into the present church in 1842.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the remodelled 1842 building is an outstanding example of rural American Gothic architecture and one of the earliest Gothic style buildings in the area. It is described as remarkably well preserved, retaining virtually all of its original appointments. The church and adjoining burial ground are also cited as a landmark of early settlement and a monument to religious tolerance, since it was built as a union church for several denominations.","narrative":"Union Church is a small Gothic-style church in Philipsburg, Centre County, Pennsylvania, with an adjoining burial ground. Settlers raised a log meetinghouse on the site in 1820 by public subscription, and it served as both a school and a place of worship. In 1842 the log building was enlarged and remodelled into a church with pointed arch windows, quatrefoil carvings, and a three-story entrance tower. Its rough cast exterior of plaster and clay gave the church its nickname, Old Mud Church. The interior retains its original box pews, carved balustrade, flooring and window glass. The church is significant as a well preserved example of rural Gothic design in the area. It also reflects early settlement and a dispute over whether the building would serve one denomination or many, which was settled in court in favour of a union church used by several congregations. The cemetery, in use from 1819, contains a monument to Hardman Philips and a large oak estimated at 330 years old.","period_of_significance":"1820-1842","architect_builder":"William Kinnear and Samuel Turner (subscription agents named in the 1820 subscription list)","architectural_style":"Gothic","criteria":[],"status_note":"Maintained by the Philipsburg Historical Foundation; the interior appointments are described as original.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:29.974909-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/78002365.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002365/fe60de6e1a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002365/fe60de6e1a-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Pubdog (talk)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Union_Church_and_Burial_Ground_Jun_09.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Pubdog (talk)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Union_Church_and_Burial_Ground_Jun_09.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"99000881","name":"Philipsburg Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/pennsylvania/philipsburg-historic-district-99000881/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71997568","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Church_and_Burial_Ground","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7885528"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/centre-county/union-church-and-burial-ground-78002365/"}