File:St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Dansville, New York - 20220901.jpg

English: St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 25 Clara Barton Street at School Street, Dansville, New York, September 2022. An early work of soon-to-be-prominent Buffalo architect Robert North, St. Peter's exemplifies a more conservative interpretation of English Gothic architecture than he'd practice later in his career with partner Olaf Shelgren: amongst the comparatively intricate and ornate ornamental elements, note the prominent bar tracery in both the large recessed central window dominating the façade as well as the narrower ones on the side elevations, in each case crowned with bluntly pointed arches that suggest a Tudor influence. The Celtic cross embedded into the peak of the front gable is an interesting touch as well. St. Peter's traces its history back to April 13, 1831, when the handful of Episcopalians then resident in Dansville met at the home of Benjamin Aldrich for the purposes of founding a parish. Maintaining the parish, however, proved to be a challenge, as it was left in the hands of the Rev. William Bostwick, a missionary preacher responsible for minstering to Episcopalians scattered in the small frontier communities of Livingston, Steuben, Allegany, and Cattaraugus Counties; though he was present at the meeting, his busy schedule only allowed him to visit Dansville for services, which were held in a former log schoolhouse converted for the purpose, about once a month. Eventually, the arrangement having proven untenable, St. Peter's went moribund for several years before being revived once again in 1842 through the efforts of Rev. N. F. Bruce, who agreed to resign from the same post Rev. Bostwick had held earlier to take charge of the parish full-time. A purpose-built church, courtesy of local stonemason William Moore who was paid a price of about $2,000, was finally erected in 1846 and served the flock's needs until the construction of the present building. That process proceeded remarkably quickly, with ground broken in May 1910, the cornerstone (inside which was placed a Bible, historical paperwork related to the incorporation of the church, photographs of the old building, and current issues of the various Dansville newspapers) laid the following month, and the new church formally consecrated in November in ceremonies presided over by Bishop William D. Walker of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York.