{"nrhp_refnum":"80002945","name":"Pisgah Christian Church","other_names":["Pisgah Ridge Church"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"NW of Ripley on Pisgah Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Wilmington","county":"Brown County","state":"OH","lat":38.78262813400005,"lon":-83.87998301299996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-11-21","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story brick vernacular church on Pisgah Ridge, northwest of Ripley in rural Brown County, Ohio. The congregation was founded in 1829, and the building dates from 1854 and was rebuilt in 1871.","why_significant":"The nomination argues architectural significance as an outstanding example of Brown County's nineteenth century vernacular building tradition, with some Greek Revival features. It is noted for fine craftsmanship and an exceptionally high degree of integrity in its building, furnishings and rural setting. No other church in the county compares in its lack of plumbing and electricity or its unchanged fabric.","narrative":"Pisgah Christian Church is a one-story brick church on top of Pisgah Ridge, northwest of Ripley in Brown County, Ohio. The congregation was organized in 1829 by Elder Matthew Gardner and first met in a log building near what is now the cemetery. The present church dates from 1854 and was rebuilt in 1871. It has a gable-end front, red common-bond brick, a limestone foundation, a red standing-seam tin roof and an open bell tower. Inside is a single room with plain wooden pews, a small pulpit, wide plank floors, brass kerosene chandeliers and pot-bellied stoves. There is no electricity or modern plumbing. The church is recognized for its architecture, a vernacular design with some Greek Revival touches, and for craftsmanship and integrity unmatched among the county's nineteenth century churches. After the congregation declined in the 1920s, neighbors reorganized in 1933 to save it, and services and community meetings continue there.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Vernacular, with some Greek Revival features","criteria":[],"status_note":"In excellent condition and unaltered on its original site; still used for services at least twice a year and by community groups. It has no electricity or modern plumbing.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:12.883516-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/80002945.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80002945/65c762c255-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80002945/65c762c255-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Aesopposea","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pisgah_Christian_Church.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Aesopposea</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:Pisgah_Christian_Church.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71986849","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisgah_Christian_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7198278"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/brown-county/pisgah-christian-church-80002945/"}