{"nrhp_refnum":"83000320","name":"United Methodist Church of Batavia","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"8 N. Batavia Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Batavia","county":"Kane County","state":"IL","lat":41.85047575200008,"lon":-88.31165434099995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-07-28","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Romanesque Revival church building at 8 N. Batavia Avenue (Illinois Route 31) in Batavia, Kane County, Illinois, built in 1887 and designed by Chicago architect Solon S. Beman.","why_significant":"The church is presented as a representative example of Solon S. Beman's forceful, massive Romanesque Revival work. It is noted for its distinctive use of varicolored field boulders with cut limestone trim. Its design drew on plans of a southern French Romanesque church brought back by a local donor, and it reflects the influence of the early Chicago School.","narrative":"Built in 1887 at 8 N. Batavia Avenue, this church in Batavia, Illinois, was designed by Chicago architect Solon S. Beman, best known for planning the town of Pullman. Its walls are made of field boulders in widely varied colors, mostly from a farm just south of town, set against precisely cut limestone lintels, sills and string courses. A tall square tower with a pyramidal roof rises above a heavy, horizontal body, and a deeply recessed arched entry is framed by light stone molding. The nave has barrel vaults, pine beadboard wainscoting and curved oak pews. The building was a gift from two prominent local men, Captain Don Carlos Newton and the Rev. Elijah H. Gammon. Newton brought home plans of a southern French Romanesque church to guide the design. It was listed as a strong example of Beman's Romanesque Revival work and of Chicago School influence. It remains largely unaltered and in use.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"Solon Spencer Beman (architect); I.S. Stephen (contractor); T.M. Hunter (project superintendent)","architectural_style":"Romanesque Revival (French Romanesque influence)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied and in excellent condition, in religious use; virtually unmodified apart from a small rear addition, electric lighting replacing gas, and finished basement rooms.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:35.278731-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/90/8931/28893190/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/83000320.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83000320/c97f8ce079-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83000320/c97f8ce079-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"G LeTourneau","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:United_Methodist_Church_of_Batavia_(Batavia,_IL)_01.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">G LeTourneau</a>, <a href=\"http://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:United_Methodist_Church_of_Batavia_(Batavia,_IL)_01.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28893190","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Methodist_Church_of_Batavia","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7888253"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/kane-county/united-methodist-church-of-batavia-83000320/"}