First Methodist Episcopal Church of Avon
Also known as: Avon United Methodist Church
Why it's listed
This brick church on Genesee Street in Avon, New York, was built between 1879 and 1880 for a Methodist congregation organized in 1834. It replaced an 1839 wooden church on the same lot, which was moved to the rear during construction. Rochester architect James Cutler designed it, and Lang and Watkins of Avon carried out the construction. Cutler placed the sanctuary and the fellowship and education spaces on two floors under a single roof, which reduced building and roof maintenance costs. The exterior combines a tall corner tower, round-arched openings, corbelling and rock-faced brownstone trim in a Romanesque manner. Inside, the sanctuary retains its original non-figural stained glass, oak pews, raised dais and oak wainscot. A Felgemaker tracker-action organ, installed in 1895 and later restored, draws visitors interested in organs. The building was listed for its architectural value as a largely unaltered Romanesque church, and it still serves an active congregation.
Significance in brief: The church is significant as a representative, intact example of a Romanesque-style Protestant church. Cutler's design put worship space and fellowship and education rooms on two floors under one roof, with modest Romanesque detailing. The sanctuary keeps its original windows, pews, dais and wainscot, and it houses a relatively rare Felgemaker tracker-action organ installed in 1895.
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 05000165, listed March 15, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 130 Genesee St., Avon |
|---|---|
| County | Livingston County |
| Listed | March 15, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000165 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1879-1954 |
| Architect / builder | James G. Cutler |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian / Romanesque |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Continues to serve an active congregation that has maintained its historic appearance; the organ has been restored. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Within district | Avon Village Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.91010, -77.74620 (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 05000165.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5453318
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.