{"nrhp_refnum":"91001520","name":"St. John's Lutheran Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"185 S. Center St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Orange","county":"Orange County","state":"CA","lat":33.786211423000054,"lon":-117.84965128999994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1991-10-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick Gothic Revival Lutheran church at 185 South Center Street in Orange, California, built in 1913-14 to designs by architect Frederick Eley.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is the finest example of Gothic architecture in Orange and Orange County, and the only brick Gothic building in this early agricultural community. Its design is a simplified version of the Cathedral at Chartres. It is also tied to Frederick Eley, described as the county's finest early architect, and to a congregation founded in 1882 by German immigrants.","narrative":"Built in 1913-14, St. John's Lutheran Church at 185 South Center Street in Orange is a red brick church modeled on a simplified version of the Cathedral at Chartres. Two square towers with spires flank a gabled entrance with a rose window and three arched doorways. Light grey terra cotta trim, a scored concrete foundation, and stained glass made from imported German glass add to the Gothic character. Inside, rib vaults, an S-shaped balcony, and a carved wooden altar shaped like a miniature cathedral survive from the original construction. Architect Frederick Eley designed it, and it was his only Gothic Revival work. It was built for a congregation founded in 1882 by German immigrants, and several thousand people attended its 1914 dedication. Orange was then a small farming town, and brick was unusual for a church there. The nomination calls it the finest Gothic building in Orange County and notes it retains its original design and materials.","period_of_significance":"1914","architect_builder":"Eley, Frederick (architect); Duker, Miller and Loescher Company (builders)","architectural_style":"Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals: Late Gothic Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Exterior and interior are described as in excellent condition, kept up through regular maintenance. The building remains in use as a church.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.366583-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/91001520.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/91001520/dd78c0f8de-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/91001520/dd78c0f8de-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Marty Rice","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:185_South_Center,_Orange,_Ca..jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Marty Rice</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:185_South_Center,_Orange,_Ca..jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"97000617","name":"Old Towne Orange Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/california/old-towne-orange-historic-district-97000617/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860350","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John%27s_Lutheran_Church_(Orange,_California)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7588775"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/orange-county/st-johns-lutheran-church-91001520/"}