Building date: 1844 - date stone in the gable, demolished about 1950
Original use: Church
Corner structures:
Mortar application and content:
Types and uses of stones:
Types and choice of windows:
Structures with similar masonry details:
Masons who worked on building: J. Putman
Unique features:
Map views courtesy Google Maps. Approximate current view and location are provided; 43°15'11.88"N 77°41'55.43"W.
Town of Greece and Monroe County Maps
"The Cobblestone Houses of Upstate New York", compiled by Dorothy Wells Pease 1941. Research done in collaboration with Hazed B. Jeffery, supplemented with material furnished by Carl F. Schmidt. Reference the ninth paragraph on page 2.
J. Putman was the builder of the "First Christian Church" in the town of Greece in 1844 according to the date stone in the gable. Carl Schmidt, "Cobblestone Architecture", 1944, Page 37
Pageant Tops Centennial Program Of Greece Methodist Church, The Greece Press, July 11, 1941
A pageant entitled "A Century of Worship," will highlight celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Greece Methodist Church Friday, July 25 in the church hall. The pageant, arranged by Henry E. Roberts, dramatizes the story of religious developments in the area beginning with the Jesuit priests in 1669. The story recalls missionary work with the Indians, pioneer hardships, adventures of circuit riders and the building of early churches.
Rochester was hardly more than a village when the Rev. William Williams called a meeting at the old stone schoolhouse which stood on the site of the present District School No. 9 in Long Pond Road north of Maiden Lane Road. At this session "The Methodist Protestant Church of Greece" was organized. The first official board consisted of James Moall, John Justice, Jefferson Davis, and Ambrose Rogers. Services were held regularly, sometimes in the Methodist Episcopal Church at North Greece.
In 1867 the congregation then known as Greece Methodist Church bought the old Christian Church at Greece Center. This building still stands on Latta Road a short distance west of Long Pond Road. As the community prospered and the congregation increased the worshipers decided to construct a new building. The present church building on stone's throw of Long Pond is the result of their efforts. It was dedicated in 1874.
In addition to the pageant on July 25 special services have been arranged for Sunday, July 27. The centennial services will take place at 10:30 a.m. with Bishop Charles Wesley Flint as chief speaker. At 4 p.m. the new pipe organ, now being installed, will be dedicated. Richard Palmer email 11/12/2019.
Rochester was hardly more than a village in 1841 when the Rev. William Williams called a meeting in the stone schoolhouse in Greece [NY]. At the session the "Methodist Protestant Church of Greece" was organized. In 1866 the name was changed to the "Methodist Church." Services were held regularly, sometimes in the schoolhouse and sometimes in the Methodist Episcopal Church In North Greece.
In 1867 the congregation, its number now increased, bought the old Christian Church at Greece Center. The substantial cobblestone structure had been built in 1844.
As the community prospered and the congregation increased still further, the worshippers decided to construct a new edifice. The classically-simple white church on Maiden lane, within a atone's throw of Long Pond Road, is the result of their efforts. Excerpt from "A Century of Progress", by Mary Stewart, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 4/27/1941
First Christian Church erected in 1844 by John Putnam, a sawmill operator on English Rd. This building was located in the hamlet of "Greece Center" - which was the intersection of Latta & Long Pond roads. Text from the "Eight Miles Along the Shore Book" from which this came reads: "Adjacent to the Cataract House hotel on the northwest corner once stood a cobblestone Christian Church, purchased by the Methodist congregation in 1867 and used by them until 1874, when they built a frame church on Maiden Lane. Later in time, the blacksmith and wagon shop of Gus Holler occupied the building." (page 102, "Eight Miles Along the Shore" by Virginia Tomkiewicz and Shirley Cox Husted).
"Cobblestone Architecture in the Rochester Area", by Gerda Peterich, 1953. Reference First Christian Church and figure 9. Editor's Note: This digitized version of the original typescript manuscript is reformatted for digital display, edited for errors, and includes blue tinted highlighted links to improve access within the document, to the appropriate structure pages in the Cobblestone Info Base, or to external resources on the internet. This document is one of two known typescript drafts, likely a thesis or essay bound as a book and apparently never published. One is available in the Cobblestone Museum Resource Center, the other in the University of Rochester Art and Music Library. A companion or precursor typed paper of the same title exists, perhaps used for a talk and/or photographic display of cobblestone structures.
Old Cobblestone Church - First Christian Church
North side of Latta Road, a few hundred yards west of Long Pond Road. Built by J. Putnam in 1844 - date was in stone gable. Used for recruiting men in Civil War.
1867 - purchased by Greece Methodist Church and a minister from Adams Basin came each Sunday to preach. Before this they held services for 26 years in school house on Long Pond. 1874 Greece Methodist Church moved to their new building on Maiden Lane.
Used later as blacksmith shop, cider mill [1941], dry house, and carpenter shop for building hay and lumber wagons.
Torn down about 1950. Courtesy Keith C. Suhr, Assistant Director, Greece Public Library, Greece Town Historian.
From 1931 to 1949, 3194 Latta Road is listed as "LeFrois, JB & Son Cider Manufactures". Beginning in 1950 to 1953, 3194 Latta Road is listed as vacant. I could find no listing for a church on Latta Rd west of Long Pond Road from 1931 to 1953 in the Suburban directories. Courtesy Keith C. Suhr, Assistant Director, Greece Public Library, Greece Town Historian, email 2/16/2021
- "Eight Miles Along the Shore", Shirley Cox Tomkiewica, Virginia & Husted, 1982, page 102.
 1852 Monroe County Map Gre-6 Excerpt.jpg ¹ |  1872 Town of Greece Map Excerpt.jpg ² |  Gre-6 First Christian Church 2.jpg ³ Pease Collection 1940-41 |  GP Monroe Greece Gre-6_1 N.jpg ³ |
¹ 1852 Monroe County Map courtesy Library of Congress. Courtesy of Keith C. Suhr, Assistant Director, Greece Public Library, Greece Town Historian, email 11/13/2019
² 1872 Atlas of Monroe Co. New York map. Town of Greece. Courtesy of Monroe County Library System. Courtesy of Keith C. Suhr, Assistant Director, Greece Public Library, Greece Town Historian, email 11/13/2019
³ Photography courtesy Gerda Peterich.
