National Register of Historic Places

Grace Church

Utica, Oneida County, New York
Listed
May 22, 1997
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
97000419

About this property

Grace Church is an Episcopal church at 193 Genesee Street in Utica, New York, which was established in 1838. The establishing of Grace Church began in the spring of 1838 as an extension of the venerable Mother Parish of the city, Trinity Church. A group of twenty parish members wrote to their then Rector, the Rev. Pierre A. Proal, with the intention of organizing a new parish and requested his canonical consent. The first service was held on May 21, 1838 at 215 Genesee Street, in an upper room of a house located in the parish, and was accordingly organized under the name of Grace Church, Utica. The first church was constructed at the corner of Broadway and Columbia Streets in 1839, and the first service was conducted in the new building in August of that year. For the next 21 years this was the location of Grace Church. Its organist from 1923 to 1932 was Norman Coke-Jephcott. The cornerstone of the church was set on July 10, 1856. The construction project faced financial difficulties and by September 1859, it seemed as if the church would never be completed. Through the persistence and experience of Rev. John J. Brandegee, the church's third rector, he was able to procure enough funding to complete the construction and pay the mortgage. The first service was held in the new church on May 20, 1860, and by Easter Day, 1864, the $30,000 mortgage was finally paid. The church had a long history for its mission to outreach to the neighboring community, but dwindling resources and a shrinking congregation brought the painful realization that the few remaining faithful could no longer hold the parish together. The last rector to serve there was the Rev. David Hopkins, who left in July, 1994. In little time, the vestry agreed to merge with Grace Church, and held the final service on November 20, 1994. The following week later on November 27, 1994, the first Sunday of Advent, the people of Calvary Church were welcomed as members of the Grace Church congregation. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. Galpin, William Freeman (1963). Grace Church: One Hundred Twenty-Five Years of Downtown Ministry. Utica, N.Y. OCLC 3473883.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) Storm, G. Wescott. "Grace episcopal Church: A Brief History of Grace Church". Retrieved May 14, 2022.

Location

193 Genesee St.
Utica, Oneida County, New York
43.10079, -75.23088

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTRELIGIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Grace Church

This page lists Grace Church. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Grace Church report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Tabernacle Baptist Church
Civil War
0.2 mi
New Century Club
Industrial
0.2 mi
Fort Schuyler Club Building
Early Republic
0.2 mi
Stanley Theater
Industrial
0.3 mi
Whiffen-Ribyat Building
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Oriskany (1777)
1777Revolutionary War
6.3 mi
Battle of Oriskany
1777Revolutionary War
7.4 mi
Battle of Oriskany 1777
1777Early Republic
7.9 mi
Battle of Oriskany August 6 1777
1777Revolutionary War
8.4 mi
Battle at Fort Stanwix Approaches (1758)
1758Colonial
13.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Grace Church listed on the National Register?

Grace Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 22, 1997.

What type of historic resource is Grace Church?

Grace Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Grace Church?

The period of significance for Grace Church is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Grace Church?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Grace Church will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Oneida County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Oneida County.

Explore OneidaCounty ›

More historic places in New York

Browse all historic places in New York.

View New Yorkhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

New York history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

New Yorkhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Grace Church will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report