the Fenner Community Church
The Fenner Baptist Church, also known as The Fenner Community Church, satisfies National Register Criterion as an intact, representative example of vernacular nineteenth century ecclesiastical architecture. The Church was added to the National Historic Register in 2002. The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation.
Built in 1820 and modified in 1877, the church retains a relatively high degree of integrity and enjoys a highly evocative rural setting. Constructed as a traditional New England meetinghouse in the Federal style, the church was enlarged in the 1870's in response to the sudden growth of the congregation, at which time it received an overlay of Second Empire-inspired decorative elements. The church is the finest example from a small number of extant architectural resources that chronicles the settlement and growth of this small Central New York agrarian crossroads during the nineteenth century. Since its construction in the first quarter of the nineteenth century, the Fenner Community Church has remained a conspicuous feature of the local landscape.
Throughout its history the Fenner Community Church has served a valuable role as a meeting place for the community for special events and ceremonies. In 1934 'Old Home Day' was observed, at which time many former members of the church gathered and joined in a parade of horse-drawn vehicles and early automobiles. On Memorial Day, 1948, veterans from the Town of Fenner were honored with the placement of a memorial plaque on a boulder on the east side of the church, at which time the maple trees were planted in an alignment signifying the four branches of the armed services.
Currently The Fenner Community Church holds seasonal services, hosts weddings, and brings members of the community together through Chicken Dinners and election luncheons. Located on a prominent rise high above the adjacent countryside with views toward Oneida Lake, with the exterior remaining much as it appeared following the Victorian period alterations and the interior retaining many of its character defining features, The Fenner Community Church is a notable local resource. It is one of the earliest links to Fenner's nineteenth century heritage.
Built in 1820 and modified in 1877, the church retains a relatively high degree of integrity and enjoys a highly evocative rural setting. Constructed as a traditional New England meetinghouse in the Federal style, the church was enlarged in the 1870's in response to the sudden growth of the congregation, at which time it received an overlay of Second Empire-inspired decorative elements. The church is the finest example from a small number of extant architectural resources that chronicles the settlement and growth of this small Central New York agrarian crossroads during the nineteenth century. Since its construction in the first quarter of the nineteenth century, the Fenner Community Church has remained a conspicuous feature of the local landscape.
Throughout its history the Fenner Community Church has served a valuable role as a meeting place for the community for special events and ceremonies. In 1934 'Old Home Day' was observed, at which time many former members of the church gathered and joined in a parade of horse-drawn vehicles and early automobiles. On Memorial Day, 1948, veterans from the Town of Fenner were honored with the placement of a memorial plaque on a boulder on the east side of the church, at which time the maple trees were planted in an alignment signifying the four branches of the armed services.
Currently The Fenner Community Church holds seasonal services, hosts weddings, and brings members of the community together through Chicken Dinners and election luncheons. Located on a prominent rise high above the adjacent countryside with views toward Oneida Lake, with the exterior remaining much as it appeared following the Victorian period alterations and the interior retaining many of its character defining features, The Fenner Community Church is a notable local resource. It is one of the earliest links to Fenner's nineteenth century heritage.