{"nrhp_refnum":"06000880","name":"First Methodist Episcopal Church of Perry","other_names":["Perry United Methodist Church"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"35 Covington St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Perry","county":"Wyoming County","state":"NY","lat":42.71954385600003,"lon":-78.00486320699997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2006-09-28","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Gothic Revival church at 35 Covington Street in the Village of Perry, Wyoming County, New York, built 1906-1907 and designed by the Rochester firm of Jay Fay and Otis W. Dryer.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is a largely intact and distinguished example of Gothic Revival church design by a prominent Rochester firm that specialized in Methodist churches. Its scale, oak interior and Tiffany and Tiffany-inspired stained glass reflect Perry's early twentieth-century prosperity.","narrative":"Built in 1906-1907 at the corner of Covington and Short streets in Perry, this Methodist Episcopal church was designed by the Rochester firm of Jay Fay and Otis W. Dryer, which specialized in churches. The base is rusticated St. Lawrence Marble, and the upper walls are glazed yellow brick. A four-story bell tower holds the main entrance. Inside, the plan is loosely based on the Akron Plan, joining a Sunday School space to the auditorium. Oak pews, altar casework and doors with leaded glass survive, along with stained glass attributed to the Tiffany studio and to Benjamin Sellers, a Tiffany artisan. The congregation traced its origins to 1816 and outgrew several earlier buildings as Perry prospered. The Ladies Aid Society raised money for the windows and other items. Changes include a pipe organ in 1909, bell tower repairs in 1928 and a 1956 renovation of the classroom area and basement. The church is valued as a well-preserved example of Gothic Revival design and of the village's early twentieth-century prosperity.","period_of_significance":"1907-1956","architect_builder":"Jay Fay & Otis W. Dryer","architectural_style":"Late Gothic Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Still in use as a church (current function listed as religious facility); the nomination describes it as well preserved.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:53.814121-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/06000880.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000880/cb6d4c777c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000880/cb6d4c777c-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Pubdog","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_Methodist_Episcopal_Church_of_Perry_Jul_11.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Pubdog</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_Methodist_Episcopal_Church_of_Perry_Jul_11.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75323334","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Methodist_Episcopal_Church_of_Perry","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5453323"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/wyoming-county/first-methodist-episcopal-church-of-perry-06000880/"}