{"nrhp_refnum":"83002043","name":"Park Avenue Baptist Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"296 Park Ave., W.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Mansfield","county":"Richland County","state":"OH","lat":40.759387581000055,"lon":-82.52612471699996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-07-08","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story Neo-Gothic Revival church of ashlar limestone at the northwest corner of Park Avenue West and Benton/Wood Street in Mansfield, Richland County, Ohio, built 1928-1929 to designs by Althouse and Jones.","why_significant":"It is Mansfield's only pure example of Neo-Gothic architecture, based on English Gothic prototypes in the tradition of church architects such as R.A. Cram. It has academically correct Gothic detailing in smooth cut limestone. Its Park Avenue West location also reflects the street's standing with Mansfield's middle class into the 20th century. Because it is a church, it needed an exception to the criteria.","narrative":"Park Avenue Baptist Church is a Neo-Gothic Revival church at the northwest corner of Park Avenue West and Benton Street in Mansfield, Ohio. Opened in 1929, it replaced an earlier church at Park and Walnut that had been sold to Farmers Bank. Local firms designed and built it: Althouse and Jones as architects and Simon Small & Sons as builders, at an original value of $225,000. Its walls are rock-faced ashlar limestone, with a gabled copper roof, a cruciform plan and red doors. Inside are stained glass windows, ceiling murals, hanging lights and partial vaulting in stained oak, plus a small balcony seating 50. A brick classroom wing was added to the rear in 1956. It is the city's only pure example of Neo-Gothic design, modeled on English Gothic prototypes, and its placement on Park Avenue West reflects the street's standing among Mansfield's middle class. The building remains in use as a church.","period_of_significance":"1928-1929","architect_builder":"Althouse and Jones (architects); Simon Small & Sons (builder)","architectural_style":"Neo-gothic revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Still used as a church; interior in excellent condition and exterior in good condition. A 1956 brick rear wing was added, and not all of its classrooms are used today.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:14.711597-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/83002043.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83002043/bc45409df1-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83002043/bc45409df1-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"User:OHWiki","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Park_Avenue_Baptist_Church.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">User:OHWiki</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Park_Avenue_Baptist_Church.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71986008","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Avenue_Baptist_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7137620"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/richland-county/park-avenue-baptist-church-83002043/"}