White Store Church and Evergreen Cemetery
Why it's listed
White Store Church and Evergreen Cemetery occupy a hillside above Unadilla Creek in the Town of Norwich, Chenango County, New York. The cemetery was established in 1805 by a company of landholders, and a union church built by Baptists, Methodists and Universalists was completed in 1820. The church is a two-story Federal style frame meetinghouse with box pews, galleries and original 12-over-12 sash windows. Its only known alteration is the lowering of the pulpit in 1863. The cemetery holds about 400 monuments, from finely carved early stones to Victorian obelisks, along with dry-laid stone walls, cast iron fences, a 1906 stone receiving vault and cross-axial allees of arbor vitae. The property was listed for its well-preserved architecture, funerary art and landscape design. It reflects the New England origins of the Rhode Island families who settled the White Store community. It is also regarded as Chenango County's oldest public use cemetery.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the property is significant under Criterion C for its largely unaltered architecture, funerary art and landscape design. The church is described as one of the best preserved New England style meetinghouses in Central New York. The cemetery has fine early stone carving and a landscape layout showing both churchyard tradition and Rural Cemetery Movement influence.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 95000047, listed February 10, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of NY 8 and White Store Rd., 4 mi. S of South New Berlin, Norwich |
|---|---|
| County | Chenango County |
| Listed | February 10, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000047 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1795-1934 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Early Republic / Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Landscape Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Church and cemetery are both still in religious and funerary use; few burials have taken place since 1940 and little space remains for new plots. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 42.48364, -75.40591 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 95000047.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7995436
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.