{"nrhp_refnum":"80001376","name":"Memorial Washington Reformed Presbyterian Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"W of Elgin on W. Highland Ave. Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Elgin","county":"Kane County","state":"IL","lat":42.06425347800007,"lon":-88.39123000399996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-11-19","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Exploration/Settlement","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A small, rectangular white wood-frame church with a stone foundation, located near Elgin in Plato Township, Kane County, Illinois, and built in 1844-45 by William and Daniel Fraser and the original Scotch and Scotch-Irish congregation.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is an excellent example of Greek Revival architecture, and the only unaltered non-residential example in Kane County. It was built entirely by the Scotch and Scotch-Irish settlers of the original congregation and retains its original appearance and features. It also stands as a memorial to those early settlers' religious convictions.","narrative":"This small white church near Elgin, in Plato Township, Kane County, was built in 1844-45 by William and Daniel Fraser and the Scotch and Scotch-Irish settlers who formed its congregation. The land was donated by Alexander McCornack, who emigrated from Scotland in 1840. The building measures about 24 by 38 feet, with wood drop siding, a stone foundation added in Civil War times, and a pedimented gable over the south front. Pilasters divide that front into three bays, and a hand-carved wooden sundial hangs above the double-door entrance. Inside is a single room with original unfinished floorboards, plastered walls, plain wooden pews and a pulpit. A bronze memorial tablet added in 1924 is the only change to its original appearance. Surveys of Kane County identify it as one of few Greek Revival buildings in the county and the only unaltered non-residential one. Many early settlers are buried in the adjoining cemetery, and descendants have cared for the site since 1916.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"William and Daniel Fraser","architectural_style":"Greek Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as unoccupied, in excellent condition and unaltered on its original site. A business meeting and memorial service is held there each June.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:34.575831-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/66/8931/28893166/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/80001376.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80001376/a360201a20-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80001376/a360201a20-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Teemu08","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Memorial_Washington_Reformed_Presbyterian_Church.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Teemu08</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:Memorial_Washington_Reformed_Presbyterian_Church.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28893166","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Washington_Reformed_Presbyterian_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6815554"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/kane-county/memorial-washington-reformed-presbyterian-church-80001376/"}