Christ Episcopal Church
Why it's listed
Christ Episcopal Church, at 611 East Jackson Street in Springfield, is a small stone church completed in 1888 in the Richardson Romanesque style. Its rusticated Grafton Quarry stone walls, arched entrances, slate roof and banks of stained glass windows give it the scale of an English parish church rather than a soaring Gothic cathedral. Local architects Bullard and Bullard designed it, and Samuel Bullard's Richardsonian approach came from his studies under Nathan Ricker at the University of Illinois. The nomination describes it as the only English parish church design in the Springfield area and the earliest scholarly adaptation of this style to a modest religious building outside the Chicago region. Memorial gifts paid for much of the work, including a 1914 parish house and a garden. The congregation paid for a 1950 Sunday School addition. The interior keeps its oak woodwork, pews, altar and memorials. The church remains in use and still follows the low-style service required by its early donors.
Significance in brief: The church shows the influence of H. H. Richardson on American architecture, adapted to a small English-parish-church form. It is described as the only English parish church design in the Springfield area and the earliest scholarly adaptation of Richardson Romanesque to a modest religious building outside the Chicago area. It is also described as exceptionally intact. It was designed by the local firm Bullard and Bullard.
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 80001410, listed September 12, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 611 E. Jackson St., Springfield |
|---|---|
| County | Sangamon County |
| Listed | September 12, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001410 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899, 1900- (specific dates 1888, 1914, 1950) |
| Architect / builder | Bullard and Bullard (Samuel Bullard principal architect); 1950 addition by architect Harry J. Reiger, builder E. R. Jones and Co. |
| Architectural style | Richardson Romanesque revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied; used as a church. Condition marked good, with some alterations, on its original site. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 39.79732, -89.64763 (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 80001410.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5108883
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.