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The description of
Grace United Methodist Church is the same as when described in the
nomination form in 1980 for the National Register of Historic Places:
“The massing of the brick veneer
church exhibits a general horizontal proportion accentuated by a
tall tower with spire –a building form characteristic of the
early 20th century phase of the Gothic Revival style. While the
overall building form and massing is simple, yet picturesque and
grand in scale, the exterior façade exhibits excellent ornamental
elements in both stone and brick. The brown brick construction is
contrasted with both light cast stone and stone detailing in the
sills, lintels, coursings, arches, soffits, and cornerstones. Buttresses,
cappings, railings, and pinnacles are constructed of metal. The
plan of the church is square with a large four-sided bell tower
with finialed steeple rising from the northwest corner. The tower
contains four small corner turrets at the base of the steeple and
a metal balustrade. The lancet form is the salient feature of the
tower windows, although flat lintels span the smaller openings.
Both the southeast and southwest facades are characterized by a
single, paired, or triple grouped lancet or segmental arched windows
and door openings with brick relieving arches. The southwest elevation
appears almost symmetrical with brisk articulation and strong rhythms
established by regular fenestration, smaller projecting towers,
projecting gables, and surface patterning. The southeast elevation
is more irregular with a rounded-arch porch which is the main entrance,
one projecting gable, and two steepled towers of different sizes.
Other characteristic Gothic devices throughout the church include
the quatrefoil motif, stepped wall buttresses with finialed metal
cappings, recessed openings, heavy wooden doors, and a relatively
steeply-pitched hipped roof.” |
