First Baptist Church and Cook Memorial Building
Why it's listed
Located on State Street at the east end of Carthage's central business district, this property pairs a brick church built in 1885 with the neighboring Cook Memorial Building, a two-story brick house from the 1860s or 1870s. The church combines Gothic and Romanesque elements, including asymmetrical massing, a multi-story corner bell tower, corbelled cornices, stone-capped buttresses and tall stained-glass windows. Inside, the sanctuary keeps curved oak pews in an Akron plan, sliding oak doors, a raised dais with an organ installed between 1905 and 1911, and a full-immersion baptistery. The Cook Memorial has Italianate and late Victorian features, though little original interior fabric survives. The Baptist congregation dates to 1833, and earlier churches burned in 1861 and 1884. The present building was erected after the 1884 fire that destroyed much of downtown. It was recognized for its architecture, intact interior and role as a local landmark within the village's civic and religious core.
Significance in brief: The church is argued to be an outstanding example of late nineteenth century religious architecture in Carthage, with a remarkably intact interior including extensive woodwork and an early 1900s pipe organ. With the Cook Memorial Building, it remains a prominent landmark in the village's historic civic and religious core.
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 05000016, listed February 9, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 511 State St., Carthage |
|---|---|
| County | Jefferson County |
| Listed | February 9, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000016 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1860s/70s - 1885 |
| Architectural style | Late-19th Century: Gothic/Romanesque Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The church remains in religious use; the Cook Memorial Building, owned by the church since the 1950s, is rented out to generate income. The church interior survives with a high degree of integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 43.98209, -75.60776 (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 05000016.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5452447
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.