{"nrhp_refnum":"82002522","name":"Unity Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"220 Western Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Mattoon","county":"Coles County","state":"IL","lat":39.48336586100004,"lon":-88.38338881399994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-03-19","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Religion"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick church at 2200 Western Avenue in Mattoon, Coles County, Illinois, built in 1872-1873 by a Unitarian congregation and now used as Trinity Episcopal Church.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is significant mainly for its architecture and as the oldest standing religious structure in Mattoon. It is one of very few Mattoon buildings with architectural value and integrity, and the only religious building among six local structures named in a pre-World War II architecture survey. It also reflects the city's growth in the 1870s and East Coast influence on the West.","narrative":"Built in 1872-1873 on Western Avenue in Mattoon, this red brick church was constructed by the town's Unitarian congregation for between $7,500 and $10,000, a large sum for the period. It has a gabled nave flanked by two flat-roofed towers, one holding the bell and the main entrance, along with a wheel window, round-arched openings with keystones, and an arcaded corbel table under the eaves. Later work includes stained glass added in 1907, a basement built in the 1930s, and an interior restoration finished in 1976, though the exterior has changed little since 1872. The architect is unknown because church records were lost when the Unitarian congregation dissolved. Lawyer Thomas Parkman Cushing Lane was a leading backer, and similar churches in Shelbyville suggest a plan drawn from published designs. It is the oldest standing religious building in Mattoon and a rare local example of architectural integrity, which is why it was listed as a local landmark.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"Unknown","architectural_style":"Early Romanesque (described in a supporting letter); the form does not give a formal style classification","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied and in religious use as Trinity Episcopal Church; condition listed as excellent, with the interior restored in 1976.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:34.504244-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/2/8919/28891902/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/82002522.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82002522/a9fc736f1b-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82002522/a9fc736f1b-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Unity_Church_in_Mattoon.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Unity_Church_in_Mattoon.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28891902","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unity_Church_(Mattoon,_Illinois)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16902351"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/coles-county/unity-church-82002522/"}