St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church
Why it's listed
St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church is a red pressed brick church with an adjoining cemetery in Manorton, in the town of Livingston, Columbia County. Built in 1901-02, it has a high-pitched gable roof, pointed-arch openings, and two towers of different heights, one a four-story bell tower with an octagonal spire. The upper walls are framed in wood and clad in light gray slate shingles, and colorful memorial stained glass fills the windows. Architect Samuel L. Kingman of Chatham and Kingston designed it, and Haynor & Clum built it for about $5,000. It replaced an 1861 church lost to a lightning fire in 1901; the congregation traces its roots to Palatine German settlers. Henry Livingston donated the original site in 1821. The 3.6-acre cemetery holds about 2,200 burials from 1821 onward. The church was listed for its architecture as a restrained, good example of rural Gothic Revival design that retains its remote setting.
Significance in brief: The church is significant in architecture as a good representative example of Gothic Revival ecclesiastical architecture in rural Columbia County. It is a restrained, eclectic turn-of-the-century design that reflects the conservative character of its farming community. It replaced an 1861 church destroyed by fire in 1901.
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 01001437, listed January 11, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 923 NY 19, Livingston |
|---|---|
| County | Columbia County |
| Listed | January 11, 2002 |
| Reference number | 01001437 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1901-02 |
| Architect / builder | Samuel L. Kingman (architect); Haynor & Clum of Livingston (builders) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Second Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a church and cemetery; the basement hall is used for social events, and a 1959 addition is noncontributing. |
| Acreage | 4.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.09325, -73.79632 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
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 01001437.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7588727
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.