All Saints Chapel and Morris Family Burial Ground
Why it's listed
Set behind a tall hemlock hedge on former Morris family farmland south of Morris, All Saints Chapel is a small stone church built about 1866-1868 from locally quarried stone. Designed by G. Pomeroy Keese of Cooperstown, it has a slate roof, buttressed sides and a projecting bell-cote tower, and its interior is finished in oiled chestnut with butternut benches. Two cemeteries lie beside it. The Morris family burial ground holds General Jacob Morris, an early settler of the Butternut Valley, and his infant daughter Censa, whose 1791 burial is believed to be the first of a white settler in the valley. A second cemetery, laid out in 1869, served employees, friends and neighbors. The chapel was consecrated in 1869 and deeded to Zion Episcopal Church. It reflects English rural parish church design admired by Victorian architects, and its landscaped, rural setting reinforces that character. A wood-frame wagon shed also contributes.
Significance in brief: The property is significant for architecture as an outstanding example of a Gothic Revival rural parish church modeled on English precedents, and for social history through its link to the Morris family and the settlement of the Butternut Valley. The Morris family cemetery holds the grave of General Jacob Morris and the earliest known white burial in the valley. The chapel served the family, its employees and neighbors.
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 97001455, listed November 24, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NY 51, 3 mi. S of Morris, Morris |
|---|---|
| County | Otsego County |
| Listed | November 24, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97001455 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1791-1869 |
| Architect / builder | G. Pomeroy Keese |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Chapel is virtually unaltered since construction and retains outstanding integrity; both cemeteries remain in active use and the chapel is maintained within the Zion Episcopal parish. |
| Acreage | 2.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.50953, -75.28834 (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 97001455.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4729432
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.