First Baptist Church of Phelps
Why it's listed
Completed in 1845 on Church Street in the village of Phelps, this Baptist church is built of lake-washed cobblestones with limestone quoins, lintels and sills. Its front is dominated by a pedimented portico with four fluted Doric columns, topped by a frame bell tower. The best, smallest and most evenly colored stones were reserved for the front facade, with rougher stones used on the sides and rear, a practice typical of mature cobblestone work. The congregation, organized in 1843 when the village was still called Vienna, contracted masons John Skinner and Stephen Trumbull to build the church in the first rate style. Of roughly 660 cobblestone buildings in New York, only about 40 are tied to named masons. The church is one of 21 surviving cobblestone churches in the state, and only three show comparable Greek Revival sophistication. Its interior was remodeled in the 1880s and 1920s, and it remains a local landmark and an active church.
Significance in brief: The church is significant under Criterion C as a distinguished example of cobblestone construction in Western New York and as an outstanding Greek Revival religious building in Phelps. It is one of 21 extant cobblestone churches in the state and appears to be the most masterfully executed of them. It is also one of the few cobblestone buildings with known master masons, John Skinner and Stephen Trumbull.
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 92000554, listed May 22, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 40 Church St., Phelps |
|---|---|
| County | Ontario County |
| Listed | May 22, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000554 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1845 |
| Architect / builder | John Skinner and Stephen Trumbull (masons) |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century; Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a church; interior remodeled in the 1880s and 1920s. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.95498, -77.05838 (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 92000554.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8563340
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.