Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church
Why it's listed
Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church is a small brick church at 902 Broadway in Lincoln, Illinois, two blocks from the Logan County courthouse. Built in 1880, it is a one-story, rectangular, gable-front building with pointed Gothic-arched window openings and a low-pitched asphalt shingle roof. The cornerstone reads 1868, the year the congregation was founded. Inside, a single open room keeps its plaster walls, wainscot, balustrade at the altar and original wood-paneled ceiling above a dropped acoustic ceiling. The church was listed for its role as a community center for Lincoln's African American residents. Logan County's Black population was small, and the nomination describes a community that lived largely apart from white residents. In that setting the church offered more than worship, serving as a place for political meetings, education and mutual support during segregation. The period of significance spans 1880 to 1954. The congregation still uses the building for worship.
Significance in brief: The church is significant locally under Criterion A as a community center for African Americans in Lincoln. Before the Civil Rights movement, Black churches served as places for worship, political meetings, children's education and mutual support during segregation. The period of significance runs from the 1880 construction to 1954.
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 04000422, listed May 12, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 902 Broadway, Lincoln |
|---|---|
| County | Logan County |
| Listed | May 12, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000422 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1880 - 1954 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | OTHER: gable front |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a religious facility. It has had no additions, and the original windows have been replaced with aluminum sashes in the original frames. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.14672, -89.35937 (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 04000422.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14687373
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.