As of 2007 there are five church buildings in the Sycamore Historic District, located in Sycamore, Illinois, United States which are listed as contributing properties to the district. The Sycamore Historic District was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on May 2, 1978. When it was nominated to join the National Register there were seven church buildings within the district. One of those included is a residential structure that was utilized as a church when it was first constructed; the Arthur Stark House was once home to the Sycamore Universalist Church congregation. In the time since its listing, two churches have been destroyed or demolished. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. John was destroyed by fire in 2004 and the United Methodist Church in Sycamore is no longer extant, replaced by a modern office building. Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. John The Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. John formerly stood on Main Street in the Sycamore Historic District until it was "totally destroyed" by fire in February 2004. The 1937-38 building was one of the most notable structures within the historic district. Even as the church burned it made its mark on history. The fire's resulting backdraft caused an explosion and is the largest recorded backdraft incident in United States history. Two Sycamore firefighters were injured in the blaze. In addition to the destroyed St. John's church the Sycamore United Methodist Church, listed as a contributing property to the historic district in 1978 no longer exists. The area along Somonauk Street where it once stood now houses an office building. First Baptist Church The First Baptist Church in Sycamore, Illinois is within the boundaries of the Sycamore Historic District and considered a contributing property to the historic district. As of 2007 the old First Baptist Church building was occupied by the Bethel Assembly of God. The First Baptist Church's congregation was founded in 1852. In their early years they met in Franklin Township and then, later at Sycamore's schoolhouse and in the DeKalb County Courthouse. Finally the church decided it needed a permanent building. The First Baptist Church building, erected in 1899, stands at the corner of Maple and Elm Streets in Sycamore, on a lot that was originally purchased from local citizen Hosea Willard. Built in the Gothic Revival style the church features prominently arched windows. On both the west and south facades it feature large