{"nrhp_refnum":"03001149","name":"Delaware Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church","other_names":["Asbury-Delaware Methodist Church"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"339 Delaware Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Buffalo","county":"Erie County","state":"NY","lat":42.893619224000076,"lon":-78.87514712099994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2003-11-15","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A High Victorian Gothic church at the southeast corner of Delaware Avenue and West Tupper Street in Buffalo, Erie County, New York, built in two phases between 1871 and 1876 to designs by architect John H. Selkirk.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is a distinctive example of High Victorian Gothic ecclesiastical architecture under Criterion C. Its red Medina sandstone exterior and asymmetrical towers dominate several blocks of Delaware Avenue. The design combines a richly textured Gothic exterior with an open, auditorium-style Protestant worship space.","narrative":"Rising on the southeast corner of Delaware Avenue and West Tupper Street in Buffalo, this former Methodist church is a High Victorian Gothic landmark built in two stages between 1871 and 1876. Architect John H. Selkirk designed it in red Medina sandstone trimmed with Connecticut brownstone. A chapel was finished first in 1871, and the main church followed, with its cornerstone laid in 1874 and dedication in 1876. Two towers of different heights flank the gabled front, the taller reaching 185 feet with an octagonal stone spire. Inside, a large auditorium with curved galleries, hammer-beam ceiling and stained glass by a Buffalo firm reflects the Protestant tradition of open worship space within a Gothic exterior. Businessman Francis H. Root funded much of the project and chaired the building committee. The property was listed for its architectural significance as a distinctive example of its style. It is now recorded as vacant, and the sanctuary furnishings have been removed.","period_of_significance":"1871-1876","architect_builder":"Selkirk, John, architect, Buffalo, NY","architectural_style":"Late Victorian / Gothic (High Victorian Gothic)","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Current function is listed as vacant; the altar, altar rail and pews have been removed from the sanctuary.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:53.30795-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/03001149.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/03001149/e71cde3946-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/03001149/e71cde3946-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Pubdog (talk)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Delaware_Avenue_Methodist_Episcopal_Church_Dec_09.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Pubdog (talk)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Delaware_Avenue_Methodist_Episcopal_Church_Dec_09.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75317592","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware_Avenue_Methodist_Episcopal_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5253230"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/erie-county/delaware-avenue-methodist-episcopal-church-03001149/"}