Property Record
23 W CHURCH ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Free Will Baptist Church |
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| Other Name: | Grace Independent Baptist Church |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 84925 |
| Location (Address): | 23 W CHURCH ST |
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| County: | Rock |
| City: | Evansville |
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| Year Built: | 1854 |
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| Additions: | 1899 |
| Survey Date: | 2006 |
| Historic Use: | house of worship |
| Architectural Style: | Greek Revival |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Clapboard |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Evansville Historic District |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 11/16/1978 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 1/1/1989 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | Corner tower was added in 1899. Greek Revival style nave was built in 1854 and Romanesque Revival style front with asymmetrical tower built in 1899. "This building is the oldest and most historically significant church in Evansville. Early photographs show a classic "New England-style" church with front-facing pedimented gable, central bell tower with spire and columns flanking the entry. The Free Will Baptist congregation met here from 1854 until 1914, and was a leader in the temperance movement in Evansville. In 1899, a major remodeling altered the appearance of the church by removing the original steeple, adding a square bell tower and placing an addition with rounded windows facing the street to the north in the Romanesque Revival style. The original Greek Revival elements can be seen in the rear section of the building. They include the low pitched gable roof with broad frieze under the eaves, vertical corner pilasters, and simple rectangular windows. Also note the wide horizontal siding in back and narrow siding in front. Since 1970, this building has been the home of the Grace Independent Baptist Church." Evansville Historic Preservation Commission, Historic Evansville Walking Tour brochure, 2014. |
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| Bibliographic References: | Historical and Architectural Walking Tour of Evansville's Historic District, Evansville Historic Preservation Commission, 1992. Evansville Citizen 4/27/2000. EVANSVILLE REVIEW. SEPTEMBER 12, 1896. MONTGOMERY, RUTH ANN. GLIMPSES OF THE GROVE. EVANSVILLE: 1989, P. 121. ADDRESS FILES. LEONARD P. EAGER LOCAL HISTORY ROOM, EAGER FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY. MONTGOMERY, RUTH ANN. EVANSVILLE REVIEW: DEC. 10, 1997, P. 8; DEC. 17, 1997, P. 8; DEC. 24, 1997, P. 8. Evansville Historic Preservation Commission, Historic Evansville Walking Tour brochure, 2014. Evansville Historic Preservation Commission, Historic Evansville: A Walker's Guide, 2002. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |