St. John's Episcopal Church
Also known as: Phelps Village Library
Why it's listed
Built of local rubble stone with stepped buttresses, this church in the center of Phelps, New York, was designed by Maj. David B. Douglass and completed as a shell in 1850. Its steep gable roof, lancet windows and stepped west facade recall fourteenth-century English parish churches. The design is traced to St. James the Less in Philadelphia, where Douglass had served as a consultant, linking Phelps to the ecclesiological movement that promoted exact Gothic replication. Bishop William DeLancey consecrated the building in 1856, when butternut pews and woodwork were installed. The project cost $2,480. An apse was added in 1897 and a bell tower in 1905. The congregation declined during the Depression, a fire gutted the interior, and the church closed in the early 1940s. A women's guild revived it in 1945, and a cinder block wing was added in 1954. The building now houses the village library.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an early, highly significant western New York example of English parish church architecture from the ecclesiological movement's formative years in America. Its design traces to St. James the Less (1846) in Philadelphia, on which its architect had consulted. It shows how quickly eastern seaboard and European styles spread inland.
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 78001892, listed November 7, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Church St., Phelps |
|---|---|
| County | Ontario County |
| Listed | November 7, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78001892 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1849-50, 1856 |
| Architect / builder | Maj. David B. Douglass |
| Architectural style | English parish church (Gothic Revival), with a Romanesque-designed tower showing Gothic elements |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now used as the Phelps Village Library after the Episcopal congregation moved out; condition marked fair. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.95653, -77.05757 (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 78001892.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7588702
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.