51:
65:
894:
90:
905:
97:
72:
292:
style and built by builder P.J. Van Horne. The building has several elements of the style including: heavy sandstone foundation which contrasts with smooth and rough faced brick, wide round arches over rows of windows, and the buildings two towers. The building is laid out in what was known as the
783:
878:
814:
798:
788:
929:
939:
873:
819:
460:
840:
742:
959:
773:
707:
672:
747:
652:
612:
437:
712:
702:
697:
677:
793:
627:
542:
662:
657:
532:
954:
752:
717:
622:
597:
737:
687:
667:
642:
632:
617:
607:
592:
572:
547:
537:
527:
949:
757:
732:
637:
577:
557:
552:
522:
512:
692:
647:
587:
562:
517:
824:
722:
602:
567:
317:
The First
Congregational Church is significant for its architecture as a local example of a Richardsonian Romanesque religious building. It is the only church of its kind in all of
944:
778:
727:
682:
582:
281:
in
Sterling. In fact, it has been reported that locals sometimes knew the building only as "the church with the windows". The auditorium is semi-circular and octagonal in shape.
490:
475:
430:
130:
506:
89:
64:
908:
423:
898:
470:
321:. The church is also locally significant as a religious institution. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places November 7, 1995.
408:
381:
964:
446:
346:
235:
37:
861:
403:
274:
rises 100 feet (30 m) into the air and dominates the structure. The building also features some of the most elaborate
234:. The church was built in 1897 and 1898 and is an example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. It was added to the
934:
866:
845:
318:
289:
189:
50:
258:
15,000. In the end the building cost US$ 25,000 to erect. Construction was completed between 1897–98.
480:
250:
in
Sterling were set to construct a new church. Later that year, on July 1, it was reported in the local
485:
465:
351:
255:
285:
247:
223:
118:
415:
254:
that an architect's design had been selected and that the church would cost a total of
202:
923:
306:
275:
231:
879:
University and college buildings listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
298:
302:
294:
372:
145:
132:
267:
379:), National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, July 7, 1995,
227:
399:
United Church of Christ list for First
Congregational Church of Sterling
398:
284:
270:
and is located in the heart of downtown
Sterling. The church's square
874:
List of jails and prisons on the
National Register of Historic Places
278:
930:
National
Register of Historic Places in Whiteside County, Illinois
271:
341:
940:
Churches on the
National Register of Historic Places in Illinois
419:
96:
71:
376:
30:
The Big Red Church - First Congregational Church of Sterling
297:". The Akron Plan for church buildings was popularized by
960:
Buildings and structures in Whiteside County, Illinois
854:
833:
807:
766:
499:
476:
History of the National Register of Historic Places
453:
208:
195:
185:
177:
169:
161:
124:
113:
955:Richardsonian Romanesque architecture in Illinois
507:List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state
950:Romanesque Revival church buildings in Illinois
899:National Register of Historic Places portal
431:
8:
945:United Church of Christ churches in Illinois
266:The building is constructed of red Portage
438:
424:
416:
246:On May 15, 1896 it was announced that the
49:
16:Historic church in Illinois, United States
447:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
38:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
404:First Congregational Church of Sterling
373:First Congregational Church of Sterling
330:
220:First Congregational Church of Sterling
367:
365:
363:
361:
342:"National Register Information System"
336:
334:
21:
409:Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
382:Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
7:
347:National Register of Historic Places
236:National Register of Historic Places
862:National Historic Preservation Act
14:
309:classrooms on one or two floors.
904:
903:
892:
95:
88:
70:
63:
406:, Property Information Report,
815:Federated States of Micronesia
461:Architectural style categories
197:
1:
301:and featured a semi-circular
104:Show map of the United States
19:United States historic place
965:Akron Plan church buildings
299:architectural pattern books
981:
867:Historic Preservation Fund
846:American Legation, Morocco
887:
808:Lists by associated state
196:NRHP reference
57:
48:
44:
35:
28:
24:
789:Northern Mariana Islands
412:, accessed May 21, 2008.
385:, accessed May 21, 2008.
305:surrounded by segmented
290:Richardsonian Romanesque
222:is a historic church in
190:Richardsonian Romanesque
186:Architectural style
784:Minor Outlying Islands
767:Lists by insular areas
481:Keeper of the Register
486:National Park Service
466:Contributing property
352:National Park Service
313:Historic significance
146:41.78917°N 89.69361°W
841:District of Columbia
79:Show map of Illinois
151:41.78917; -89.69361
142: /
935:Sterling, Illinois
248:Congregationalists
165:less than one acre
119:Sterling, Illinois
917:
916:
471:Historic district
371:Whaley, Martha. "
216:
215:
117:311 Second Ave.,
972:
907:
906:
897:
896:
895:
820:Marshall Islands
440:
433:
426:
417:
386:
369:
356:
355:
338:
319:Whiteside County
252:Sterling Gazette
212:November 7, 1995
199:
157:
156:
154:
153:
152:
147:
143:
140:
139:
138:
135:
105:
99:
98:
92:
80:
74:
73:
67:
53:
22:
980:
979:
975:
974:
973:
971:
970:
969:
920:
919:
918:
913:
893:
891:
883:
850:
829:
803:
762:
495:
449:
444:
395:
390:
389:
370:
359:
354:. July 9, 2010.
340:
339:
332:
327:
315:
264:
244:
150:
148:
144:
141:
136:
133:
131:
129:
128:
109:
108:
107:
106:
103:
102:
101:
100:
83:
82:
81:
78:
77:
76:
75:
40:
31:
20:
17:
12:
11:
5:
978:
976:
968:
967:
962:
957:
952:
947:
942:
937:
932:
922:
921:
915:
914:
912:
911:
901:
888:
885:
884:
882:
881:
876:
871:
870:
869:
858:
856:
852:
851:
849:
848:
843:
837:
835:
831:
830:
828:
827:
822:
817:
811:
809:
805:
804:
802:
801:
799:Virgin Islands
796:
791:
786:
781:
776:
774:American Samoa
770:
768:
764:
763:
761:
760:
755:
750:
745:
740:
735:
730:
725:
720:
715:
710:
708:South Carolina
705:
700:
695:
690:
685:
680:
675:
673:North Carolina
670:
665:
660:
655:
650:
645:
640:
635:
630:
625:
620:
615:
610:
605:
600:
595:
590:
585:
580:
575:
570:
565:
560:
555:
550:
545:
540:
535:
530:
525:
520:
515:
510:
503:
501:
500:Lists by state
497:
496:
494:
493:
491:Property types
488:
483:
478:
473:
468:
463:
457:
455:
451:
450:
445:
443:
442:
435:
428:
420:
414:
413:
401:
394:
393:External links
391:
388:
387:
357:
329:
328:
326:
323:
314:
311:
263:
260:
243:
240:
214:
213:
210:
206:
205:
200:
193:
192:
187:
183:
182:
179:
175:
174:
171:
167:
166:
163:
159:
158:
126:
122:
121:
115:
111:
110:
94:
93:
87:
86:
85:
84:
69:
68:
62:
61:
60:
59:
58:
55:
54:
46:
45:
42:
41:
36:
33:
32:
29:
26:
25:
18:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
977:
966:
963:
961:
958:
956:
953:
951:
948:
946:
943:
941:
938:
936:
933:
931:
928:
927:
925:
910:
902:
900:
890:
889:
886:
880:
877:
875:
872:
868:
865:
864:
863:
860:
859:
857:
853:
847:
844:
842:
839:
838:
836:
832:
826:
823:
821:
818:
816:
813:
812:
810:
806:
800:
797:
795:
792:
790:
787:
785:
782:
780:
777:
775:
772:
771:
769:
765:
759:
756:
754:
751:
749:
748:West Virginia
746:
744:
741:
739:
736:
734:
731:
729:
726:
724:
721:
719:
716:
714:
711:
709:
706:
704:
701:
699:
696:
694:
691:
689:
686:
684:
681:
679:
676:
674:
671:
669:
666:
664:
661:
659:
656:
654:
653:New Hampshire
651:
649:
646:
644:
641:
639:
636:
634:
631:
629:
626:
624:
621:
619:
616:
614:
613:Massachusetts
611:
609:
606:
604:
601:
599:
596:
594:
591:
589:
586:
584:
581:
579:
576:
574:
571:
569:
566:
564:
561:
559:
556:
554:
551:
549:
546:
544:
541:
539:
536:
534:
531:
529:
526:
524:
521:
519:
516:
514:
511:
508:
505:
504:
502:
498:
492:
489:
487:
484:
482:
479:
477:
474:
472:
469:
467:
464:
462:
459:
458:
456:
452:
448:
441:
436:
434:
429:
427:
422:
421:
418:
411:
410:
405:
402:
400:
397:
396:
392:
384:
383:
378:
374:
368:
366:
364:
362:
358:
353:
349:
348:
343:
337:
335:
331:
324:
322:
320:
312:
310:
308:
307:Sunday school
304:
300:
296:
291:
287:
286:Wesley Arnold
282:
280:
277:
276:stained glass
273:
269:
261:
259:
257:
253:
249:
241:
239:
237:
233:
232:United States
229:
225:
221:
211:
209:Added to NRHP
207:
204:
201:
194:
191:
188:
184:
181:Wesley Arnold
180:
176:
172:
168:
164:
160:
155:
127:
123:
120:
116:
112:
91:
66:
56:
52:
47:
43:
39:
34:
27:
23:
713:South Dakota
703:Rhode Island
698:Pennsylvania
678:North Dakota
407:
380:
345:
316:
283:
279:fenestration
265:
262:Architecture
251:
245:
219:
217:
834:Other areas
794:Puerto Rico
628:Mississippi
543:Connecticut
149: /
125:Coordinates
924:Categories
743:Washington
663:New Mexico
658:New Jersey
533:California
325:References
303:auditorium
295:Akron Plan
137:89°41′37″W
134:41°47′21″N
753:Wisconsin
718:Tennessee
623:Minnesota
598:Louisiana
268:sandstone
238:in 1995.
178:Architect
909:Category
738:Virginia
688:Oklahoma
668:New York
643:Nebraska
633:Missouri
618:Michigan
608:Maryland
593:Kentucky
573:Illinois
548:Delaware
538:Colorado
528:Arkansas
228:Illinois
224:Sterling
203:95001234
114:Location
855:Related
758:Wyoming
733:Vermont
638:Montana
578:Indiana
558:Georgia
553:Florida
523:Arizona
513:Alabama
288:in the
242:History
693:Oregon
648:Nevada
588:Kansas
563:Hawaii
518:Alaska
454:Topics
825:Palau
723:Texas
603:Maine
568:Idaho
272:tower
170:Built
779:Guam
728:Utah
683:Ohio
583:Iowa
256:US$
218:The
173:1898
162:Area
377:PDF
375:" (
198:No.
926::
360:^
350:.
344:.
333:^
230:,
226:,
509::
439:e
432:t
425:v
293:"
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
