St. James' Episcopal Church (Batavia, New York)

St. James' Episcopal Church
South elevation of bell tower, 2009
Basic information
Location	Batavia, NY, USA
Geographic coordinates	42°59′49″N 78°10′32″W / 42.99694°N 78.17556°W / 42.99694; -78.17556
Affiliation	Episcopal Church
Year consecrated	1908
Leadership	The Rev. Bonnie F. Morris
Website	St. James' Episcopal Church
Architectural description
Architect(s)	Robert North
Architectural style	Neo-Gothic
Specifications
Direction of façade	South
Materials	Stone
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Added to NRHP	September 24, 2004
NRHP Reference no.	04001062

St. James' Episcopal Church is located on East Main Street (New York state routes 5 and 33) in Batavia, New York, United States. It is a stone Neo-Gothic structure built in the early 20th century.

It was the first of 65 similar churches, most also in Western New York, designed by Robert North, a former choirboy at the church. His design was informed by a trip he made to England, paid for by the dying widow who also underwrote the church's construction and wanted a design inspired by "the quiet spirit of the English countryside". North also followed contemporary architects like Ralph Adams Cram in their desire to extend the Gothic style beyond its medieval models, and made early use of newer building materials like reinforced concrete and cast stone.

It is the third building to house the church, which dates to the early years of Batavia's settlement a century before the church's construction. In 2004 the church building, its rectory and a stone wall were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Around the same time it faced a scandal surrounding the dismissal of its pastor, and the costs of maintaining an aging building raised doubts as to whether the church could continue using it. It is currently trying to raise the money to restore its bell tower.

The church complex is a 2.8-acre (1.1 ha) parcel on the north side of East Main, midway between Ross and Vine streets, just east of downtown Batavia. On the west are two older houses now serving as professional offices; to the east are houses. Across the street are several larger commercial buildings and their parking lots. To the north is a baseball diamond associated with one of the city's elementary schools. Richmond Memorial Library, also listed on the Register, is to the northeast. The church property is on a slight rise in the middle of an otherwise level area.