{"nrhp_refnum":"97000955","name":"Epworth United Methodist Church","other_names":["VDHR File no. 122-178"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"124 W. Freemason St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Norfolk (Independent City)","county":"Norfolk","state":"VA","lat":36.851879764000046,"lon":-76.29092867399999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1997-08-21","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Richardsonian Romanesque church building at 124 West Freemason Street, at the corner of Freemason and Boush streets in downtown Norfolk, Virginia. Its cornerstone was laid in 1894 and it was dedicated in 1896, to designs by John E. R. Carpenter and John K. Peebles.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is a noteworthy example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, and cites the Virginia Landmarks Register as listing no other building in that style in the Hampton Roads area. It was designed by two prominent Virginia architects, Carpenter and Peebles. The congregation has also supported Norfolk civic and charitable causes and has played a part in downtown's development.","narrative":"Epworth United Methodist Church is a granite and sandstone landmark at the corner of Freemason and Boush streets in downtown Norfolk. Built from stone quarried in Mount Airy, North Carolina, it follows the Richardsonian Romanesque manner, with rusticated walls, yellow sandstone arches, a red-tiled roof and a corner bell tower with gargoyles. Inside, the Greek-cross sanctuary rises to a Byzantine saucer dome and holds twenty-two stained glass windows, including two Tiffany windows. Its cornerstone was laid in 1894 and the congregation dedicated it in 1896. The architects, John E. R. Carpenter and John K. Peebles, ran a Norfolk office known statewide. The nomination points out that no other Richardsonian Romanesque building is recorded in the Hampton Roads area. The congregation also supported local causes, including Goodwill Industries, the King's Daughters and Virginia Wesleyan College. The church remains in worship use.","period_of_significance":"1894","architect_builder":"Carpenter, John Ruthven; Peebles, John Kevan","architectural_style":"LATE VICTORIAN: Romanesque","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Still in religious use; the form says the building has remained relatively intact for one hundred years, with only minor interior changes, though some classroom areas were altered and a large addition was built on the north side in the 1950s.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:59.703995-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/21/6821/41682121/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/97000955.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/97000955/c8f5d0cf7d-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/97000955/c8f5d0cf7d-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Cathy1763","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Epworth_United_Methodist_Church.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Cathy1763</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:Epworth_United_Methodist_Church.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"01000613","name":"Downtown Norfolk Historic District (Boundary Increase)","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/virginia/downtown-norfolk-historic-district-boundary-increase-01000613/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41682121","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epworth_United_Methodist_Church_(Norfolk,_Virginia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16835537"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/norfolk/epworth-united-methodist-church-97000955/"}