{"nrhp_refnum":"04000092","name":"Snells Bush Church and Cemetery","other_names":["St. Paul's Dutch Reformed Church"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Snells Bush Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Manheim","county":"Herkimer County","state":"NY","lat":43.038346201000024,"lon":-74.77340827399996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2004-02-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Exploration/Settlement","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A rural Greek Revival church and its adjoining burying ground on a 5.5-acre hilltop parcel on Snells Bush Road, Manheim vicinity, Herkimer County, New York. The present church, also known as St. Paul's Dutch Reformed Church, was built in 1850 (the description gives 1852) by builder Lewis Perrine.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the property is tied to the earliest European settlement of Manheim by Palatine German families, and that the church is a highly intact example of vernacular Greek Revival church architecture in rural Herkimer County. The cemetery is significant for its 18th and 19th century funerary art and for the graves of 11 Revolutionary War veterans, including six who fought at Oriskany.","narrative":"Snells Bush Church and Cemetery occupy a hilltop above the Mohawk Valley in Manheim, Herkimer County. The timber-framed church, 60 by 40 feet, was built in 1850 for a Dutch Reformed congregation first formed about 1757 and is the third house of worship on the site. Builder Lewis Perrine gave it vernacular Greek Revival details, including Tuscan pilasters, a pedimented front with paired columns at the entrance, and a two-stage belfry. Inside are a gallery, original boxed pews and stained glass salvaged from a demolished Lutheran church. The cemetery holds about 345 burials, among them 11 Revolutionary War soldiers, six of whom fought at Oriskany. The property reflects the settlement of the area by Palatine German families. After services ended in 1924, a campaign by descendants in 1938 prevented demolition, and a family reunion organization has maintained the site since 1942, holding an annual service.","period_of_significance":"ca. 1757-1938","architect_builder":"Lewis Perrine (builder)","architectural_style":"Mid-19th Century Revivals/Greek Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still used for religious purposes; the congregation's descendants hold an annual summer worship service. The church closed in 1924 and was threatened with demolition in 1938 before a descendants' group took over its upkeep. A metal roof was installed in 2000.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:54.08712-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/04000092.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04000092/5e690b6e9b-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04000092/5e690b6e9b-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Liz Spraker","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Paul%27s_Reformed_Church_in_Manheim.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Liz Spraker</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Paul%27s_Reformed_Church_in_Manheim.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75318196","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snells_Bush_Church_and_Cemetery","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7547655"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/herkimer-county/snells-bush-church-and-cemetery-04000092/"}