Richland Christian Church - near Kingdom City, MO - This Old Church on Waymarking.com

County of church: Callaway County
Location of church: CR-220, just W. of CR-221, 4½ miles W. of Kingdom City
Church Built: 1873
Architect: Unknown
Contractor: Wiggs & Russell

"The Richland Christian Church, located along a county road approximately four miles southwest of Kingdom City in Callaway County, is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C for Architecture. Constructed in 1873, the building at 5301 County Road 220 exemplifies the vernacular gable-end church property type, of which it is a particularly fine and well-preserved example with uncommon rounded, Italianate style hoods over its windows and primary entrance. Local records indicate that these hoods were nonexistent on the 33 other identified 19th century rural church buildings in Callaway County, and apparently they were seldom used on rural churches throughout Missouri. Common characteristics of the gable-end church property type represented by the Richland Christian Church include wood frame construction, a front facing gable roof, a rectangular floor plan, and - with the exception of the bold hoods and an intricate trefoil in the front gable - modest architectural ornamentation. Within Callaway County, Richland Christian Church is the fourth oldest extant religious building, the oldest remaining Christian Church and the only church building of any type with Italianate window and door hoods. The presence of Italianate features may suggest that the building was designed by an architect. In form, construction, and details, the Richland Christian Church is a very good and intact example of a common type of simple 19th century religious meeting house constructed to serve small, close-knit rural congregations. Significance is local and the period of significance is the date of construction, 1873.

"The setting of Richland Christian Church remains relatively pastoral. The church is associated with a small cemetery that predates it. The yard contains several mature trees. In addition to the outhouse, a cistern with a hand pump is also nearby. To the south, Richland Creek from which the church takes its name flows through a landscape of gentle hills.

"The Richland Christian Church is located at 5301 County Road 220, approximately four miles southwest of Kingdom City in Callaway County. Constructed in 1873, the frame, gable front, three-bay rural church building faces south. The symmetrical building is embellished with its original Italianate style hoods above front and side windows and the central transomed entrance. Along with the hoods, a jig-sawn wooden trefoil set in the exterior wall above the primary entrance adds a decorative touch to this otherwise plain but extremely well-crafted 30' x 44' building. The relatively unaltered exterior retains its original weatherboard, windows and eight stone piers (infilled with concrete in the 1940s) on which it stands. Interior alterations consist of the installation of modem paneling over the original wainscot and other wall surfaces, and the installation of electric lights and a gas furnace. Overall the building substantially retains its historic integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. A small, frame outhouse near the church, constructed in 1912, also retains integrity and is counted as contributing." ~ Missouri Department of Natural Resources

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