First Congregational and Presbyterian Society Church of Westport
Also known as: United Church of Christ of Wadhams
Why it's listed
This small frame church in the village of Wadhams, Essex County, was built in 1837 by local merchant Jason Braman for the First Congregational and Presbyterian Society of Westport. It follows a simple New England meetinghouse plan: a rectangular hall, a gable roof with slate shingles, a molded wood cornice with returns, two front entrances and a two-tiered belfry. In 1866 the congregation moved the building about 1,000 feet across the frozen Boquet River to lower ground, because the original hilltop site was too steep in winter. Colored glass windows and new pews added in 1898 reflect Victorian taste. In 1901 the church bought a former dance hall with a horse shed below and moved it beside the church to serve as a parish hall. The property is valued as a rare surviving pure example of a New England meetinghouse in the Adirondack foothills and as a long-standing center of religious and social life in the village.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is architecturally significant as a rare surviving example of early-nineteenth-century vernacular religious architecture in Essex County, with a pure New England meetinghouse plan. It is also historically significant as the social and religious center of the former milling village of Wadhams Mills. Restrained Victorian alterations from the late nineteenth century complement the original design.
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 88002750, listed December 19, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Main St./CR 10, Westport |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | December 19, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002750 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1837-1901 |
| Architect / builder | Builder - Jason Braman |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal (vernacular Federal style meetinghouse) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a church (United Church of Christ of Wadhams); the parish hall remains associated with the church. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 44.23057, -73.45874 (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 88002750.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5452872
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.