According to its NRHP nomination, "St. John Baptist is an example of simple vernacular design, based on the centuries-old rectangular nave floor plan.

No architect has been identified, although some believe that Spencer Brothers, a local African-American construction firm, may have drawn the plans."

It was built by members of the congregation, using stones salvaged from a demolished local elementary school.

[1] It was deemed significant " for its association with a strong African-American community, and the role the church played in an ethnically diverse neighborhood.

This article about a property in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub.