Grace Church
Why it's listed
Grace Episcopal Church at 9 Browns Avenue in Scottsville, Monroe County, is a small Latin-cross church built in 1885 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. Its lower walls are rough native fieldstone, while the upper walls are wood frame with a continuous band of stained glass windows. Rounded transept and apse ends carry conical roofs, and a broad hipped porch on stone brackets shelters the entrances. Inside, oak wainscoting, dark beaded ceiling paneling and geometric stained glass form the main decoration. A parish hall was added in 1956 and a bell tower in 1976. The congregation was organized in 1885, and the church cost $3,925 to build. Rochester architect and artist Harvey Ellis, whose firm donated its services, based the design on a published plan by Rotch and Tilden for a church in North Andover, Massachusetts. The church is valued as a sophisticated example of religious architecture in the village, with a high level of integrity and notable interior detail.
Significance in brief: The nomination finds it significant under Criterion C as an outstanding example of late nineteenth century ecclesiastical architecture. It was designed by Rochester architect and artist Harvey Ellis from a published design by Arthur Rotch and George T. Tilden. It retains a high level of integrity and is notable for its distinctive exterior form and simple but bold stained glass windows.
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 10000514, listed July 30, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 9 Brown's Ave, Scottsville |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | July 30, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000514 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1885-1956 |
| Architect / builder | Harvey Ellis; Arthur Rotch and George T. Tilden; Carl Schmidt |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a religious facility; the form lists current function as religious facility. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 43.02280, -77.75160 (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 10000514.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5591045
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.