St. James Episcopal Church
Why it's listed
St. James Episcopal Church, at 141 North State Street in Painesville, is a brick Gothic Revival building with stone trim, a stone foundation and a gabled roof. Its symmetrical front facade centers on a three-story tower with an ogee-arched entrance, carved stonework, lancet windows, small pinnacles and an eight-sided wooden spire. Stepped brick buttresses mark the corners, and pointed-arch windows line the sides. Inside, the woodwork is walnut, with a paneled ceiling, decorative hammer beams and three tall stained glass windows in the apse. The church was built between 1865 and 1868 for a parish organized in 1824, replacing an earlier church of 1836 that was sold and moved to Perry. Plans were drawn in 1864 by Heard and Blythe of Cleveland, a leading regional firm led by Charles Wallace Heard. A newspaper of 1868 praised the thoroughness and skill of the work. Total cost with furnishings was reported as seventy thousand dollars.
Significance in brief: The church is significant as a work of Heard and Blythe, described as one of the most important architectural firms in northeastern Ohio in the nineteenth century. It also represents one of the oldest parishes in Lake County, organized in 1824. Its design and craftsmanship were praised in 1868 press coverage.
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 75001455, listed July 7, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 141 N. State St., Painesville |
|---|---|
| County | Lake County |
| Listed | July 7, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001455 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1865-1868 |
| Architect / builder | Heard and Blythe (Charles Wallace Heard and Walter Blythe) |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and in religious use; condition marked fair; a new wing stands at the northwest corner of the original building. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.72811, -81.24318 (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 75001455.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7588487
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.