West Somers Methodist Episcopal Church and Cemetery
Also known as: Tomahawk Chapel; Hope Methodist Cemetery; Baldwin Place Church & Cemetery
Why it's listed
Tomahawk Chapel, formally the West Somers Methodist-Episcopal Church, is a small wood-frame Greek Revival chapel on Tomahawk Street in Somers, Westchester County. Local builder and church trustee Thomas Tompkins Miller built it around 1837 for a Methodist Protestant congregation. The building measures roughly 22 by 32 feet, with clapboard siding, a wood shingle roof, a wide cornice return and a colonial revival porch added by about 1910. Inside are original high-backed narrow pews, a curved pulpit platform and a cove ceiling. An adjoining cemetery holds 76 stones and 95 interments from 1829 to 1977, mostly members of closely related families such as Miller, Lent, Hynard and Tompkins, along with eight veterans. The chapel was listed as an example of a plain rural church type that has become uncommon in the county, and for what the site shows about early West Somers families and Methodism in the area. It was moved slightly in the 1990s during restoration.
Significance in brief: The chapel is cited under Criterion C as a surviving example of a plain rural Greek Revival church type that has largely disappeared from Westchester County. The church and cemetery together are cited under Criterion A in social history for what they show about early West Somers residents and the organization of Methodists in the region.
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 11000755, listed October 25, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 199 Tomahawk St., Somers |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | October 25, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000755 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1831 - c.1910 |
| Architect / builder | Thomas Tompkins Miller |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Deeded to the Town of Somers in 1986; moved about 22 feet south of its original footprint in the early 1990s and restored in phases. The form lists a current function of recreation and culture (auditorium) and funerary (cemetery). |
| Acreage | 1.6 |
| Coordinates | 41.33279, -73.75080 (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 11000755.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18159220
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.