In 1918 an association called the Phelps Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Corporation began planning a memorial to commemorate the men and women who served in World War I and set out with an objective to "perpetuate the memory of boys from Phelps town who shall have rendered service in the war against Germany and her allies."
In 1921 the Phelps Soldiers and Sailors Board of Directors, including President William L. Crothers, instructed John Handrahan to prepare plans. Handrahan was well known in Ontario County for other stone work pieces like the many gardens and landscapes at Sonnenberg, as well as other pieces in Canandaigua. John Handrahan's style is unique for memorials from this era, and as Crothers described it has a rustic look which works well in a community known for beautiful examples of cobblestone houses.
Funding for the memorial was approved through the War Chest Association. A boulder estimated to weigh 28 tons was to be moved to the site from the Weston farm two miles east of Phelps. A bronze tablet would be included and contain all names of those from the town of Phelps who rendered their service to the military during WWI and would be attached to the boulder. The World War Memorial in Phelps was completed in 1921. The Phelps Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Corporation set the unveiling of the bronze tablet and dedication for Memorial Day 1922.
The bronze tablet lists the names of all those who served in the war from the town of Phelps; this includes 114 soldiers and sailors, the five men who died in service, and two nurses. and gives the names of the women who also served.