Fort Herkimer Church
Also known as: Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of German Flatts
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Why it's listed
Fort Herkimer Church is a small, rectangular gray limestone building on a rural site south of the Mohawk River in German Flatts. Palatine German settlers completed it in 1767, though construction began at least fifteen years earlier and was delayed by pioneer conditions and the French and Indian War. Thick walls and massive corner buttresses gave it a fortified look, and during that war it formed part of the stockaded defense around Herkimer's nearby stone house, known as Fort Herkimer. It is the only physical remnant of that fortification and the only structure in the area to survive both the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. In 1812 the roof was raised, a second row of windows and a cupola were added, and the interior was redone with a gallery, box pews and a sounding-board pulpit. The Daughters of the American Revolution restored it in 1912, and the interior was returned to its 1812 arrangement in 1947-1948. The nomination notes structural problems and says it was no longer in use.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a significant example of an early pioneer church that was updated as the area became more settled. It is the only structure to survive the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War upheavals in the vicinity, and one of the earliest surviving churches in New York State. During the French and Indian War its buttressed walls formed part of the stockaded defense known as Fort Herkimer.
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 72000843, listed July 24, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NY 5S, East Herkimer |
|---|---|
| County | Herkimer County |
| Listed | July 24, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000843 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 18th and 19th centuries (specific dates 1767, 1812) |
| Architect / builder | Built by Palatine Germans; Johan Jost Herkimer led fundraising and is believed to be commemorated by the initials "J. H. E." on the date stone |
| Areas of significance | Military, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair and altered; the form says the church is presently not used at all due to structural faults, with wooden joists and gallery piers needing repair. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 43.01807, -74.95395 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 72000843.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5471324
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.