Union Church of Dunnigan
Also known as: Dunnigan Community Church
Why it's listed
Union Church of Dunnigan is a small, one-story Gothic Revival church in the rural farming town of Dunnigan, Yolo County, California. Construction began in 1892 and finished in 1894 on land donated by early residents Phillip and Kate Laugenour. The wood building has a multi-gabled roofline, a corner bell tower with its original bell, pointed-arch stained glass windows, fish-scale shingles, and a brick foundation. Inside are a sanctuary, meeting hall and foyer, with curved oak pews and ornate brass hardware. Its articles of incorporation required that it never be denominational, so it served the whole community, hosting the town's weddings, baptisms and funerals. It is the only historic public building still standing in Dunnigan and is a rare local example of Gothic Revival design. Changes include a replaced front door, an enclosed bell tower, and added electricity and gas heat; about 80 percent of the glass is original. It remains in religious use.
Significance in brief: It is significant in social history as Dunnigan's only place of worship and its only surviving historic public building, built as a non-denominational community church. It is also significant in architecture as a good, simple rural example of Gothic Revival, unique in Dunnigan and rare in the county.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 03000613, listed July 10, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3615 Cty Rd. 89A, Dunnigan |
|---|---|
| County | Yolo County |
| Listed | July 10, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000613 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1894-1953 |
| Architect / builder | Builders: Gruing Bros. (Knights Landing); Marsh Peart (College City); Mahogany Pew Co. |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used for religious purposes serving all denominations; the nomination says it is threatened with deterioration and that repair funds are limited. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.88639, -121.96843 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 03000613.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7885529
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.