Brush Creek Salems Church
Why it's listed
Brush Creek Salems Church is a brick church built between 1816 and 1820 on a ridge in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Its builder, Jacob Dry, a German craftsman, gave the two-story gable-roofed building Georgian ornamentation, including a pedimented entry with a denticulated cornice and rosettes, and fluted columns and festooned carrying beams inside. The interior has a second-floor gallery on three sides that wraps around the chancel, with pews facing the pulpit from three directions. The congregation was first organized about 1773 and built a log meetinghouse in 1797 before the brick church replaced it. The church is regarded as the only known brick church with exterior Georgian detailing built in western Pennsylvania before the mid-nineteenth century. Its gallery plan and delicate woodwork are considered rare for churches of its period in the region. A brick addition from 1958 stands to the north, designed in a sympathetic style, and the older building remains largely unaltered on the outside.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church's architecture is distinctive among pre-1850 churches in western Pennsylvania, being described as the only known brick church with Georgian ornamentation built there before the mid-nineteenth century. Its two-story interior with a gallery surrounding the pulpit on three sides and its finely carved woodwork are presented as rare for churches of its date 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 87000675, listed May 11, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SE of Westmoreland City on Brush Creek Rd., Westmoreland City |
|---|---|
| County | Westmoreland County |
| Listed | May 11, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000675 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1816-1820 |
| Architect / builder | Jacob Dry (builder) |
| Architectural style | Georgian ornamentation |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellent condition with excellent integrity; original building largely unaltered on the exterior, with the 1958 addition connected by a twenty-foot connecting way. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.31936, -79.65803 (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 87000675.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4979652
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.