{"nrhp_refnum":"04001062","name":"Saint James' Episcopal Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"405 e. Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Batavia","county":"Genesee County","state":"NY","lat":42.99977886700003,"lon":-78.17541690999997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2004-09-24","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Saint James' Episcopal Church is a Neo-Gothic stone church at 405 East Main Street in Batavia, Genesee County, New York, designed by Robert North and built around 1908. The property also includes a 1929 rectory, a 1953 educational wing and a modern storage building.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is an outstanding example of early twentieth-century Neo-Gothic design, an early expression of the movement championed by architects such as Ralph Adams Cram. It was also technologically advanced for its time, using reinforced concrete floors and cast stone tracery. It reflects Batavia's early-twentieth-century prosperity and is described as one of western New York's best-preserved Neo-Gothic churches.","narrative":"Saint James' Episcopal Church sits on an elevated lot on East Main Street in Batavia, built of random-ashlar sandstone with limestone and cast stone trim, a slate roof and a massive square bell tower. It was designed by Robert North, a Batavia native and former boy chorister of the parish, and funded by a bequest from parishioner Adelaide Richmond Kenny. She had urged him to travel to England and design a church in the quiet spirit of the English countryside. The result is an early example of the Neo-Gothic movement, with restrained detail and clear massing that anticipate churches of the 1920s and 1930s. It was also innovative in using reinforced concrete for structural elements, especially the floor, and cast stone for window tracery. All windows hold figurative stained glass. A Tudor Revival office wing, a 1929 rectory and a 1953 educational wing complete the property, and the church still serves an active congregation.","period_of_significance":"1908-1950","architect_builder":"Robert North","architectural_style":"Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Late Gothic Revival/Tudor Revival (Neo-Gothic)","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Continues to house an active congregation.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:52.787445-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/04001062.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04001062/5763bf622b-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04001062/5763bf622b-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Pubdog (talk)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint_James_Episcopal_Church_Batavia_NY_Oct_09.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Pubdog (talk)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint_James_Episcopal_Church_Batavia_NY_Oct_09.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75317914","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._James_Episcopal_Church_(Batavia,_New_York)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7588395"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/genesee-county/saint-james-episcopal-church-04001062/"}