First United Methodist Church
Why it's listed
On the northeast corner of North Main and Fourth Streets in London, Ohio, this church was built in 1893-1894 to designs by Charles Crapsey of the Cincinnati firm Crapsey & Brown, with A.A. Fletcher & Company as builder. Its walls are Lake Superior red sandstone with Amherst stone trimmed windows, under a steep gabled roof with a tower and steeple. The building follows the Akron Plan, and inside are high vaulted ceilings on solid oak beams, oak wainscoting, a moving partition between sanctuary and chapel, and stained glass windows and skylights by Cincinnati's Artistic Glass Company. A Johnson & Son pipe organ holds 2,467 pipes. A 1962 brick educational wing and a 1915 Jacobethan Revival parsonage share the site. The church was consecrated in November 1894 and is one of two late nineteenth century structures in town still serving their original purpose. It was listed as a local example of High Victorian Gothic design, with alterations from 1957 to 1962 not considered to harm its integrity.
Significance in brief: It is nominated under Criterion C as an excellent local example of High Victorian Gothic architecture, with red sandstone walls, a steep gabled roofline, tower and steeple. It was designed by the Cincinnati firm of Crapsey & Brown and is one of two late nineteenth century structures in London still used for its original purpose. Its interior retains an Akron Plan layout, original oak beams, a moving partition wall and stained glass.
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 96000930, listed August 22, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 52 N. Main St., London |
|---|---|
| County | Madison County |
| Listed | August 22, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000930 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1893-1946 |
| Architect / builder | Crapsey & Brown, Architect; A.A. Fletcher & Co., Builder; parsonage architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Gothic/High Victorian Gothic; Jacobethan Revival (parsonage) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a church; the congregation planned a 1996 restoration of the sanctuary to its original 1893-1894 design. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.88725, -83.44978 (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 96000930.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5453999
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.