{"nrhp_refnum":"89002130","name":"Webster Methodist Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"NC 116/Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Webster","county":"Jackson County","state":"NC","lat":35.34390917200005,"lon":-83.22262787999995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1989-12-21","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A white weatherboarded Methodist church with an engaged bell tower on Highway 116 (Main Street) in the town of Webster, Jackson County, North Carolina. It was built in 1887 for the local Webster Methodist congregation.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is the oldest and one of the most architecturally significant churches in Jackson County, with a wealth of Gothic and classical detail that makes its design outstanding among similar frame churches of the county. Its entrance composition with Ionic piers and a bell tower is described as unique in the county, and the congregation has been active since 1887 as the central church of the Webster Methodist Circuit.","narrative":"Built in 1887 for the Webster Methodist congregation, this weatherboarded, gable-roofed church stands on a slight rise on the west side of Highway 116, the main street of Webster. Its white-painted frame is dominated by an engaged bell tower that rises in two stages to a splayed pyramidal cap, with Gothic arched vents on each side of the upper tier. The entrance front, set in the base of the tower, has Ionic piers with recessed lancet panels, a six-panel double door, a Gothic transom and fluted Ionic pilasters. Inside, a central aisle leads to a communion rail, and the pews are high-backed, made of wide pine boards. Windows hold original handblown frosted glass. The building is valued for its architectural detail, which the nomination regards as outstanding for Jackson County. It is also the oldest church of its kind in the county and has served the Webster Methodist Circuit since its construction.","period_of_significance":"1887","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Vernacular Gothic Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Exterior unchanged since construction; interior sanctuary shortened in 1939 by a partition and new flooring laid over original pine flooring.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:41.947223-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/30/7209/47720930/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/89002130.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/89002130/2150850639-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/89002130/2150850639-1600.webp","licence":"CC0","author":"Warren LeMay from Cincinnati, OH, United States","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Webster_Methodist_Church,_Webster,_NC_(45891313444).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Warren LeMay from Cincinnati, OH, United States</a>, <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Webster_Methodist_Church,_Webster,_NC_(45891313444).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47720930","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webster_Methodist_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7978940"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/jackson-county/webster-methodist-church-89002130/"}