St. Thomas' Episcopal Church
Why it's listed
St. Thomas' Episcopal Church is a small red brick parish church in the rural hamlet of Amenia Union, New York, near the Connecticut border. Built between 1849 and 1851 to a design by architect Richard Upjohn, it follows the Early English Gothic Revival mode, with buttressed side walls, lancet windows, a steep gabled roof and a projecting bell cote. Rev. Homer Wheaton organized the congregation and invited Upjohn to design the building. Local residents supplied bricks, stone, sand and timber, and Trinity Church in New York City provided a mortgage. Inside, a deep chancel, plastered walls and exposed chestnut trusses reflect High Church principles of the period. Later additions include a chancel window installed in 1875, two windows attributed to Tiffany Studios and an organ dating to 1886. A 1952 parish hall and a stone carriage block share the site. The church is considered significant as an intact rural example of Upjohn's parish church designs.
Significance in brief: The church is argued to be a distinctive and intact example of Gothic Revival church architecture in Dutchess County. It was designed by Richard Upjohn and follows the modest English Gothic parish church model, with a small scale, bell cote, buttresses and steep roof. Scholars cited in the form regard it as one of the finest American interpretations of the rural English Gothic parish church.
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 05000261, listed April 6, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Leedsville Rd., N side, W of NY 41, Amenia Union |
|---|---|
| County | Dutchess County |
| Listed | April 6, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000261 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1849-1952 |
| Architect / builder | Upjohn, Richard |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century: Gothic Revival (Early English style) |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a religious facility; the form describes the church as highly intact on the exterior and interior. |
| Acreage | 3.7 |
| Within district | Webutuck Agricultural Valley Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.82715, -73.50541 (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 05000261.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7591947
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.