One of the most bucolic and beautiful buildings I have ever seen is this church in the Catskills, just outside of Elka Park, NY. Wow I wish New England could claim this one! The St. John the Evangelist Chapel was developed as part of a smaller enclave of summer cottages for rusticators from the Philadelphia-area, which was largely established by Mr. Alexander Hemsley (1834-1904) a chemist from Philadelphia who would later die from anaccidental chemical explosion at his factory. In 1883, Hemsley sold cottage lots to friends and family to erect summer houses in the Catskills and in 1884, decided to develop a lot for an Episcopal summer chapel. In that same year, Hemsley hired his future son-in-law, William Halsey Wood, to design the chapel. The Stick-style Victorian chapel blends the rustic use of natural materials found on the property with an elegant siting and attention to detail, not typically found in rural chapels. The native stone and stylized half-timbering really stood out to me. The church is used still in the summer with regular services on Sundays in July and August.
Buildings of New England 
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It’s a very understated and underrated gem!
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Hello, Mr Schenkman,
We’re writing a book on 19th century architect William Halsey Wood [1855-1897], who had been credited with the design of the church at Tannersville. Though it is now credited to another, this church still has relevance to our project, because it was funded by Wood’s in-laws and his marriage to their daughter was the first to occur in it. I wonder if we might be able to use some of your images in the book manuscript now nearing completion.
Ron Ramsay (RHLMRamsay@gmail.com)
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