Methodist Church
Why it's listed
On Harwood Drive in the village of Sandy Creek, this red brick church was built in 1878-1879 in the High Victorian Gothic style. Architect Winslow Tucker of Watertown designed it, and members of the Methodist congregation supplied all the labor under the pastor's supervision. Funds came mainly from the Methodists, some of whom mortgaged their farms, with gifts from other denominations as well. Its foundation uses stone slabs from Little Sandy Creek, the brick came from a Richland brickyard, and the roof is Vermont slate. The building has a three-tiered corner tower topped by a spire, a steeply pitched polychrome slate roof, tall pointed-arch windows with buff and black brick crowns, and stained glass installed in 1881. Interior changes between 1915 and 1967 left the original layout intact. A frame side wing added in 1963 and 1982 is subordinate to the main block. The church is considered the most architecturally distinguished large building in the twin villages of Sandy Creek and Lacona.
Significance in brief: The church is argued to be an intact, representative example of High Victorian Gothic church architecture in Sandy Creek, with a corner tower, steep polychrome slate roof, and pointed-arch windows. It was built through a community-wide fund-raising effort using volunteer labor from the congregation. The exterior retains outstanding integrity of design and materials.
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 88002213, listed November 15, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Harwood Dr., Sandy Creek |
|---|---|
| County | Oswego County |
| Listed | November 15, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002213 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect W.A. (Winslow) Tucker; builder: volunteer labor of the congregation |
| Architectural style | High Victorian Gothic |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition with original site and interior layout retained; a non-contributing side wing was added in 1963 and 1982. Still serves as a church. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 43.64364, -76.08253 (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 88002213.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6823746
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.