{"nrhp_refnum":"84000161","name":"West Baptist Church","other_names":["Bible Church of God","Old School","Hardshell"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"500 W. Mulberry St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Lebanon","county":"Warren County","state":"OH","lat":39.435186988000055,"lon":-84.21422387899997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1984-10-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Religion"],"significance_levels":["state","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story brick Greek Revival church at 500 West Mulberry Street in Lebanon, Warren County, Ohio, built in 1860 by the West Baptist congregation. It is now used as the Bible Church of God.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is a relatively unaltered example of the Greek Revival style applied to a religious building in Lebanon. Its severe, plain design is seen as reflecting the conservative nature of the West Baptist (Old School) congregation. It is described as the least altered of Lebanon's churches, and it was nominated as an exception to the religious-property rule on architectural grounds.","narrative":"Built in 1860 at 500 West Mulberry Street in Lebanon, Ohio, this two-story brick church was erected by the West Baptists, one of two Baptist congregations in the city. The group was small and conservative, having split from the East Baptists in 1836 over the doctrine of general atonement, and it disbanded in the early twentieth century. The building has a gabled roof, a pediment on the front facade, brick corner piers, and tall windows with stone lintels set between the piers. Its plain walls and simple details create a play of light and shadow, a version of Greek Revival also found in Lebanon's older houses, the Lebanon Academy and some commercial buildings. A 1960s neon sign and replacement colored glass are the main changes, but the original window pane count remains. The church was listed for its architecture and is considered the least altered church in Lebanon. It is still used for worship.","period_of_significance":"1860","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Greek Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Still used as a church (Bible Church of God); exterior condition good, with a 1960s neon sign and newer colored window glass as alterations.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:14.265928-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/84000161.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84000161/6c97ac17d6-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84000161/6c97ac17d6-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:West_Baptist_Church_in_Lebanon.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:West_Baptist_Church_in_Lebanon.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71986390","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Baptist_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7984384"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/warren-county/west-baptist-church-84000161/"}