Canaan Meetinghouse

Last updated
Canaaan Meetinghouse
Canaan Meeting House (2).JPG
USA New Hampshire location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationCanaan St., Canaan, New Hampshire
Coordinates 43°39′55″N72°2′34″W / 43.66528°N 72.04278°W / 43.66528; -72.04278 Coordinates: 43°39′55″N72°2′34″W / 43.66528°N 72.04278°W / 43.66528; -72.04278
Arealess than one acre
Built1794
ArchitectParkhurst, William
Architectural styleFederal
Part of Canaan Street Historic District (ID73000163)
NRHP reference No. 72001598 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMarch 24, 1972
Designated CPMay 7, 1973

The Canaan Meetinghouse is a historic meeting house on Canaan Street in Canaan, New Hampshire. Built in 1794, with some subsequent alterations, it is a good example of a Federal period meeting house, serving as a center of town civic and religious activity for many years. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, [1] and included in the Canaan Street Historic District the following year. [2] The building is still owned by the town, and is available for rent.

Contents

Description and history

The Canaan Meetinghouse is located at the southwest corner of Canaan Street and Apple Blossom Road, overlooking Canaan Street Lake to the east. It is a 2½-story wood-frame structure, with a gabled roof and clapboarded exterior. A square tower projects from the short front side, rising 53 feet (16 m) to a clock stage and open octagonal belfry. The current main entrance is at the base of the tower, framed by pilasters and a corniced entablature; the original main entrance is located at the center of the long south side, with a slightly simpler surround. The interior is outfitted with bench pews, a replacement for the original box pews, and the gallery level has been covered over to provide a full second story. [3]

The Federal-style building was constructed for use as a church in the mid-1790s. It was also used for town meetings from an early date, and was purchased by the town in 1829, at which time it was reoriented to have the entrance on the short end. Originally built with projecting stairwells on the short sides, one of the stairwells was mounted on top of the other to create the tower after the town bought the building. In 1841 the upper gallery was converted to a full second floor, intended for use as a church space by the local Baptist congregation. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

Universalist Society Meetinghouse United States historic place

The Universalist Society Meetinghouse is an historic Greek Revival meetinghouse at 3 River Road in Orleans, Massachusetts. Built in 1834, it was the only Universalist church built in Orleans, and is architecturally a well-preserved local example of Greek Revival architecture. The Meeting House is now the home of the Orleans Historical Society and is known as the Meeting House Museum. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

Park Hill Meetinghouse United States historic place

The Park Hill Meetinghouse is a historic meeting house on Park Hill in Westmoreland, New Hampshire. Built in 1764, and extensively restyled in the early 19th century, it is a fine example of Federal and Greek Revival architecture, influenced by the work of regionally prominent architect Elias Carter. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It is now owned by the Westmoreland Park Hill Meetinghouse and Historical Society.

Second Rindge Meetinghouse, Horsesheds and Cemetery United States historic place

The Second Rindge Meetinghouse, Horsesheds and Cemetery is a historic meeting house and cemetery on Old US 202 and Rindge Common in Rindge, New Hampshire. Built in 1796, it is relatively distinctive in New England as one of few such meeting houses where both civic and religious functions are still accommodated, housing both the town offices and a church congregation. The town's first cemetery, established in 1764, lies to the north of the meetinghouse. It is the resting place of many of Rindge's early settlers, and of its American Revolutionary War veterans. Behind the meetinghouse stand a row of horse sheds, the only one of the two rows of them which originally served the meetinghouse. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

First Congregational Church (Alton, New Hampshire) United States historic place

The First Congregational Church is a historic church building at 20 Church Street in Alton, New Hampshire, United States. Built in 1853–54, it is one of Belknap County's finest Greek Revival churches. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

Cotton Mountain Community Church United States historic place

The Cotton Mountain Community Church, also known as the Wolfeborough, Brookfield and Wakefield Meetinghouse, is a historic church on Stoneham Road in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, near the town line with Brookfield. Built about 1852, it is a well-preserved example of a rural New England meeting house with vernacular Greek Revival style. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Since 1957, when it stopped being used for services, it has been cared for by a local nonprofit group.

Center Meetinghouse United States historic place

The Center Meetinghouse is a historic meetinghouse on NH 103 in Newbury, New Hampshire. The Federal-style church building was built c. 1832, a relatively late date for the style. It replaced a 1797 meetinghouse that had been located about a mile away. It is further believed to be distinctive in New Hampshire as the only Federal period church in which the pulpit is located at the rear of the auditorium. Originally built to be used by multiple religious denominations, it is now operated by a local nonprofit organization as a community center. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

First Congregational Church of Boscawen United States historic place

The First Congregational Church of Boscawen is a historic church at 12 High Street in Boscawen, New Hampshire. Built in 1799, the wood-frame church was significantly altered in 1839, when it acquired its present Greek Revival character. It is one of the few surviving meeting houses in New Hampshire that continues to combine religious and municipal functions; it basement space is used for town meetings and elections. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Danville Meetinghouse United States historic place

The Danville Meetinghouse is a historic colonial meeting house on North Main Street in Danville, New Hampshire. Construction on the building began in 1755 and was finished in 1760 when Danville petitioned to form a town of its own, separate from Kingston. It is the oldest meetinghouse of original construction and least-altered in New Hampshire, with a remarkably well preserved interior. The building, now maintained by a local nonprofit organization, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Fremont Meeting House United States historic place

The Fremont Meeting House is a historic meeting house at 464 Main Street in Fremont, New Hampshire. Built in 1800, it is a well-preserved example of a Federal-period meeting house, and is the only surviving example in the state with two porches, a once-common variant of the building type. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

Hampstead Meetinghouse United States historic place

The Hampstead Meetinghouse, also once known as Hampstead Town Hall, is a historic meeting house at 20 Emerson Avenue in Hampstead, New Hampshire. The core of this dual-purpose structure was begun in 1749, although its interior was not completely finished until about 1768. It is one of a number of fairly well-preserved 18th-century meeting houses in southeastern New Hampshire, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Sandown Old Meetinghouse United States historic place

The Sandown Old Meetinghouse is a historic meeting house on Fremont Road in Sandown, New Hampshire. Built in 1773, this two-story timber-frame structure is a virtually unaltered late-Colonial civic and religious structure. It is believed to be unique in the state for its level of preservation, both internal and external. The building, now maintained by a nonprofit organization, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, and the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places in 2011.

South Meetinghouse United States historic place

The South Meetinghouse is a historic ward hall at 260 Marcy Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Completed in 1866, it is one of the city's finest examples of Italianate architecture, and a rare surviving example of a 19th-century ward hall. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It continues to be used as a community resource.

First Baptist Church of Cornish United States historic place

The First Baptist Church of Cornish is a historic church at 29 Cornish Stage Road at NH 120 in Cornish Flat, New Hampshire. Built in 1803, it is the town's oldest surviving church building, and is one of the state's oldest surviving Baptist churches. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Lempster Meetinghouse United States historic place

The Lempster Meetinghouse, formerly Union Hall, is a historic meeting house and church on Lempster Street in Lempster, New Hampshire. Built in 1794 to serve multiple Christian congregations, it is now a multifunction space owned by the town. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

First Parish Meetinghouse (Standish, Maine) United States historic place

The First Parish Meetinghouse, also known as the Old Red Church, is a historic church building on Oak Hill Road in Standish, Maine. Built 1804-06, it is a well-preserved example of rural Federal period design. The building has served the community as a church and school, and is still occasionally used for religious services. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Mercer Union Meetinghouse United States historic place

The Mercer Union Meetinghouse is a historic church in Mercer, Maine, USA. Built in 1829 for several different denominations to share, this church is a relatively early and rare example of transitional Federal-Gothic styling in the state, with its tower set partially over the entrance vestibule, another uncommon feature. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

Bradford Town Hall (New Hampshire) United States historic place

The Bradford Town Hall is located on West Main Street in Bradford, New Hampshire. Built in the 1860s with timbers from an earlier meeting house, it has been the town's center of civic affairs since then. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Henniker Town Hall United States historic place

The Henniker Town Hall is the town hall of Henniker, New Hampshire. The wood-frame building, built in 1786–87, is one of a small number of surviving 18th century meetinghouses in New Hampshire. At that time, its main entrance was on the long south wall, facing the raised pulpit on the north wall, and the floor was taken up by pews. The interior was decorated with high quality woodwork, which still survives. The roughly rectangular building had 1+12-story enclosed porch extensions on both sides.

Jones Hall (Marlow, New Hampshire) United States historic place

Jones Hall, also known as The Meetinghouse at Marlow Hill or The Christian Church, is a historic church and municipal building on Church Street in Marlow, New Hampshire. Built between 1792 and 1800, it is a rare 18th-century meeting house in New Hampshire, although it has been altered somewhat and moved from its original location; it was said to originally be a near duplicate of the Rockingham Meeting House in Vermont. Construction of the timber frame building was repeatedly delayed due to a shortage of funding. It first served as a combined religious and civic meeting house, with ownership residing with the society of pew owners.

Washington Common Historic District United States historic place

The Washington Common Historic District encompasses a cluster of three civic buildings and the town common in the center of Washington, New Hampshire. The town common began as a 2-acre (0.81 ha) parcel acquired in 1787, and the current town hall followed in 1789. It is a two-story wood-frame building which originally served as both a civic and religious meeting house. The adjacent Gothic Revival Congregational Church was built in 1840. The third structure is the Schoolhouse, a 2+12-story two-room school built in 1883. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. "NRHP nomination for Canaan Street Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  3. 1 2 "NRHP nomination for Canaan Meetinghouse". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-03-23.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Canaan Meetinghouse at Wikimedia Commons