Building date: 1841
Original use: Quaker Meeting House, General Store
Corner structures:
Mortar application and content: Vertical, slight embellishment. Vertical pyramids
Types and uses of stones:
Types and choice of windows:
Structures with similar masonry details: LeR-1 Baron-Brown, Bar-1 Ernst, Bar-5 School 6, Gai-14 Stinson, Gai-25 School 5
Masons who worked on building:
Unique features:
Map views courtesy Google Maps. Address is Google Earth confirmed; 43°12'29.60"N 78°19'23.13"W. Current owner of record, Barnes as of the 2019 Tax Roll. Prior owner Loiacono-Cash.
Town of Shelby and Orleans County Maps
A SOCIETY OF FRIENDS,
As early as 1818 there was a Society of Friends at Millville, which, in a few years, was in a flourishing condition. In 1841 they built a plain, substantial, stone church, where they maintained stated worship until about seven years ago [circa 1872], when death and removals had so depleted their society that the church organization was abandoned. Their ministers have been Reuben Haines and Mary Thistlewaite. Historical Album of Orleans County, N.Y., Sanford & Co., 1879.
This cobblestone structure houses the Arthur Barnes Art Studio. An informative Youtube video provides in depth information about this structure. Mailing address of the cobblestone building is 12387 Maple Ridge Rd., whereas it is included with the 12389 Maple Ridge Rd. property address listing in the tax roll.
"The Cobblestone Houses of Upstate New York", compiled by Dorothy Wells Pease. Research done in collaboration with Hazed B. Jeffery, supplemented with material furnished by Carl F. Schmidt. Reference the ninth paragraph on page 8.
This structure at 12387 Maple Ridge Road, town of Shelby, Orleans county, was built in 1841 as a Society of Friends (Quakers) meeting house. From 1874 to 1884 it was a Presbyterian church. Then it was resold by to the Quakers who used it until about 1900 when it was remodeled as a grocery store and gas station, being used as such until 1972. It became a specialty shop in 1977 but is now a private dwelling. It originally had two doors in the front. It is constructed of field cobblestones with sandstone quoins. Richard Palmer blog.
"General Store ReturnsTo Millville", The Journal-Register, Medina, N.Y., 11/26/1976.
"Back To The Days of Sleighs", Medina Journal-Register, 1/18/1977.
Until at least summer of 1977 it was a general store and post office. Arthur Barnes acquired the structure in 2000 with plans to turn it into a performance venue and art studio. Roudabush for 1977 date and Arthur Barnes for usage.
"Cobblestone Buildings of Orleans County, N. Y.", A Local History, page 89, by Delia Robinson, Edited by Evelyn Lyman and William Nestle. Jointly published by The Cobblestone Society and The Orleans County Historical Association, December 1996.
"The history of the Millville Quaker meeting house", Bethinking of Olde Orleans, Vol. XXVII No. 17, by C. W. Lattin, The Journal-Register, Medina, N.Y., 4/28/2005.
Millville 1815 Historical Marker includes Quaker Meeting House 1841 in list of early buildings.
The Cobblestone Society & Museum Tour of Cobblestone Homes, 09/28/2019. See photograph below from that event.
- "Cobblestone Masonry", 1966, Carl Schmidt: Name reference, Quaker Church in Millville
- Page 142
¹ Image courtesy Arthur Barnes.
² Image courtesy Cobblestone Museum.
³ Photography courtesy Martin and Sheila Wolfish.
4 Artwork courtesy Arthur Barnes.
5 Photography courtesy Richard Palmer.
6 Photography courtesy Gregory Lawrence.
