File:Elba United Methodist Church, Elba, New York - 20230114.jpg

English: Elba United Methodist Church, 8 Chapel Street, Elba, New York, January 2023. Erected in 1878, this clapboard-faced vernacular-style country church is a typical example of the architecture popular during the era in America's rural hinterlands, with subtle stylistic influences from the then-current Romanesque Revival: note the relatively heavy massing, the round arches invariably found atop windows and doors, and the stubby dimensions of the spireless tower (whose original bell-shaped roof was replaced by a rather unusual front-gabled construct at some later time). The dual pitch of the main sanctuary roof is another unusual touch. Founded in 1833 by the Rev. Isaac Foster and a consortium of twenty-five charter members, the congregation originally worshiped in a simple wood-frame structure built on land donated by the Babcock family of pioneer farmers, which was constructed soon afterward and served the congregation for over four decades before its replacement with the current structure. As home to a flock that has always been on the small side (slightly less than 100 members at last count), Elba Methodist's building has remained more or less the same since its completion: aside from the aforementioned new roof on the tower, the only significant alteration has been the addition of a $25,000, 140-capacity Educational and Fellowship Unit in 1962.