Cobblestone Historic District - Childs, NY - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Cobblestone construction is one of the most interesting of American vernacular building types. It originated in the Rochester, NY area and most structures were built between 1825 and 1860 from the Ice Age residue of glacially rounded stones. The First Universalist Church, the Ward House, and the District 5 Schoolhouse are the best documented and best preserved examples of early cobblestone construction.

The First Univeralist Church is the first constructed cobblestone church in North America. It is Federal in style with a symmetrical arrangement of windows and doors. The cobblestones consist of marble, granite, dolomite, limestone and sandstone. This provides a variety of colors throughout. The quoins are rough-hewn irregular shaped limestone. The lintels are made of brick.

The Ward House was probably used as a parsonage to the church. It is also Federal in style and has a hip roof. The front here is also symmetrical and is made of carefully selected field cobbles. The quoins are evenly sized and hewn from Medina sandstone. The sides of the house incorporate a hexagonal pattern of cobbles which is believed to be developed in the area.

A 1/4 mile east from the church and house is the Gaines district No. 5 schoolhouse. The school is Greek Revival in style and has a unique construction feature. It was constructed with wood framing and the cobblestone veneer was applied to it, rather than traditional masonry methods.

Between the church and house and the schoolhouse are two other cobblestone houses, but they are not a part of the historic district. The Cobblestone Society have acquired all three buildings in the district and operate them as a museum.

Street address: Ridge Rd (NY Rt 104) Childs, NY United States 14571 County / Borough / Parish: Orleans Year listed: 1993 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1825-1849 Historic function: Education, Religion: Church Related Residence, Religious Structure, School Current function: Recreation And Culture: Museum Privately owned?: yes Season start / Season finish: From: 06/23/2008 To: 10/31/2008 Hours of operation: From: 11:00 AM To: 5:00 PM Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   07/08/2023 amgold9 visited it