{"nrhp_refnum":"84000921","name":"Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal Chapel and Cemetery","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"NW of Golden","address_restricted":false,"city":"Golden","county":"Adams County","state":"IL","lat":40.15886466200004,"lon":-91.10291420799996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1984-06-04","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Religion"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A rectangular frame chapel (38' x 48') with Greek Revival detailing and an adjoining cemetery, in a rural setting near Golden, Adams County, Illinois. The chapel was built in 1858-59 by a Methodist Episcopal congregation.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the chapel is representative of pre-Civil War church architecture in Illinois, as a vernacular interpretation of Greek Revival style. It is described as a well preserved example of a once common type and the only remaining one in Adams County. The cemetery and surrounding woodlands add to its historic rural character, and the building reflects Methodist practices such as separation of the sexes.","narrative":"Ebenezer Chapel is a small rural church and cemetery near Golden, in Adams County, Illinois. Built in 1858-59 by a Methodist Episcopal congregation on land donated by William Willard, the white-painted frame building measures 38 by 48 feet and rests on a limestone foundation. Its low gable roof, cornice returns and overall simplicity reflect a vernacular take on Greek Revival style. Inside, double aisles, a pew-high centerboard and separate entrances reflect the church's practice of seating men and women apart. The adjoining cemetery began with burials in 1857 and was expanded in 1893; the land grant required it to be free to all, so members and non-members lie there. Gravestones carry typical 19th-century motifs such as wheat shocks and weeping willows. The chapel is described as the only remaining example of its type in Adams County. After the congregation merged with a nearby church in 1952, a society has maintained the property.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Greek Revival (vernacular interpretation)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition listed as good and altered; marked unoccupied. Maintained by the Ebenezer Chapel Society, with an annual service held on the Sunday closest to Memorial Day.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:35.285115-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/87/8916/28891687/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/84000921.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84000921/7ab2a3250f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84000921/7ab2a3250f-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Sa magnuson33","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ebenezer_Methodist_Episcopal_Chapel_5.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Sa magnuson33</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:Ebenezer_Methodist_Episcopal_Chapel_5.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28891687","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebenezer_Methodist_Episcopal_Chapel_and_Cemetery","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5331711"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/adams-county/ebenezer-methodist-episcopal-chapel-and-cemetery-84000921/"}