First Parish Church (Dover, New Hampshire)

Last updated
First Parish Church
First Parish Church, Dover, New Hampshire.JPG
USA New Hampshire location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location218 Central Ave., Dover, New Hampshire
Coordinates 43°11′28″N70°52′26″W / 43.19111°N 70.87389°W / 43.19111; -70.87389
Area0.5 acres (0.20 ha)
Built1825 (1825)
ArchitectDavis, Capt. James
Architectural styleFederal
NRHP reference No. 82001696 [1]
Added to NRHPMarch 11, 1982

The First Parish Church is a historic church at 218 Central Avenue in Dover, New Hampshire. The church was designed and built by Captain James Davis in 1825, inspired by the Federal style designs of Charles Bulfinch, Asher Benjamin, and Alexander Parris. [2] It is the fifth home to a parish that was first gathered in 1633 at Dover Point. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. [1] The congregation is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.

Contents

Description and history

Dover's First Parish Church is located at the southern end of Dover's commercial downtown area, on the west side of Central Avenue (New Hampshire Route 9) at its junction with Church Street. It is a tall single-story masonry structure, built with load-bearing brick walls and a gabled roof with a stepped gable end at the front. A broad three-bay section projects from the front facade, with a fully pedimented gable and stepped gable parapet with a heavy baroque volute ornament adjacent to the tower base. The tower rises, its front face flush with the projection, to include a square clock stage and an open octagonal belfry topped by a lantern stage and steeple. Window bays are tall and topped by rounded arches. The front facade has three entrances, each topped by a stone lintel. The interior has a mid-to-late 19th-century appearance, with slip pews. [2]

The church was built in 1825 by James Davis, a local master joiner. Its design is based on the original appearance of St. John's Church in Portsmouth, which was a design of Alexander Parris and also originally featured the volutes found here. The Portsmouth church's design is in turn based on the works of Charles Bulfinch. This church's steeple is based on another church, located in Newburyport, Massachusetts. [2]

The church congregation, founded in 1633 at Dover Point, is the oldest in the state of New Hampshire. The site of its second church, built in 1654, is also listed on the National Register.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Church of Christ, Unitarian</span> Historic church in Massachusetts, United States

The First Church of Christ, Unitarian, also known as First Church of Lancaster and colloquially as "the Bulfinch Church", is a historic congregation with its meeting house located at 725 Main Street facing the Common in Lancaster, Massachusetts. The church's fifth meeting house, built in 1816, was designed by architect Charles Bulfinch, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977, recognizing it as one of Bulfinch's finest works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pilgrim Memorial Church and Parish House</span> Historic church in Massachusetts, United States

Pilgrim Memorial Church and Parish House is an historic church and parsonage at 249 Wahconah Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The church was designed by H. Neill Wilson, and was completed in 1897. It is a good local example of Gothic and Romanesque architecture, and was the first church built to serve the mill workers in the city's north end. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The present church congregation is Presbyterian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Unitarian Church (Somerville, Massachusetts)</span> Historic church in Massachusetts, United States

The former First Unitarian Church is a historic church building at 130 Highland Avenue in Somerville, Massachusetts. The stone church was built in 1894 for a Unitarian congregation. It was designed by Hartwell & Richardson and is a good example of Richardsonian Romanesque design. The building presently (2022) houses the Mission Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asbury United Methodist Church (Chesterfield, New Hampshire)</span> Historic church in New Hampshire, United States

The Asbury United Methodist Church is a historic Methodist church on NH 63 in Chesterfield, New Hampshire. It has been termed the "mother church of Methodism in New Hampshire", and is home to the state's oldest continuously running Methodist congregation, organized in 1795. The building, constructed in 1844, is a prominent local example of Greek Revival architecture, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace United Methodist Church (Keene, New Hampshire)</span> Historic church in New Hampshire, United States

Grace United Methodist Church is a historic Methodist Church building at 34 Court Street in Keene, New Hampshire. Built in 1869, it was designed by architect Shepard S. Woodcock, and is one of the largest churches in southwestern New Hampshire. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Its congregation moved in 2009 and was disbanded in 2016, and the building is undergoing renovation for use as professional offices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Free Baptist Church</span> Historic church in New Hampshire, United States

The Second Free Baptist Church is a historic church building on Main Street, south of Church Street in Alton, New Hampshire, United States. It is a wood-frame structure, built in 1853–54, and is the oldest extant Italianate church in Belknap County, with a little-altered exterior. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Baptist Church of Lakeport</span> Historic church in New Hampshire, United States

United Baptist Church of Lakeport is a historic church at 35 Park Street in the village of Lakeport in Laconia, New Hampshire, United States. Built in 1891 after a fire destroyed an older church, it is an eclectic local example of Late Victorian architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congregational Church (Berlin, New Hampshire)</span> Historic church in New Hampshire, United States

The Congregational Church is a historic church building in Berlin, New Hampshire. Built in 1882, it was the community's first church building, and is a prominent local example of Stick/Eastlake Victorian architecture. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The congregation is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Anne Church (Berlin, New Hampshire)</span> Historic church in New Hampshire, United States

St. Anne Church is a historic church at 58 Church Street in Berlin, New Hampshire, United States. It is the church for Good Shepherd Parish within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester. St. Anne Parish was founded in 1867, and was Berlin's first Roman Catholic congregation. It was merged with Guardian Angel Parish, St. Joseph Parish, and St. Kieran Parish in 2000 to form Good Shepherd Parish. Its building, constructed in 1900, is an important local example of Romanesque architecture, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freewill Baptist Church-Peoples Baptist Church-New Hope Church</span> Historic church in New Hampshire, United States

The Freewill Baptist Church—Peoples Baptist Church—New Hope Church is a historic structure built in 1868 located at 45 Pearl Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The building, a fine local example of Italianate ecclesiastical architecture, was once owned by an African-American congregation. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in September 2002, and the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places in January 2002. Later home to the Portsmouth Pearl, a center of arts and culture, it has more recently hosted art exhibitions, theatrical productions, and event rentals. As of June 2021, the building is listed for sale at nearly $1.5 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John's Church (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)</span> Historic church in New Hampshire, United States

St. John's Church is a historic church at 101 Chapel Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States. The brick building was designed by Alexander Parris and built in 1807; it was the first brick church in the state of New Hampshire, and is a rare surviving early design by Parris. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The church is home to an Episcopal congregation organized in 1732, with roots in the city's 17th-century founding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Parish Church</span> Historic church in Maine, United States

The First Universalist Church, also once known as the Central Parish Church, is a historic church at 97 Main Street in Yarmouth, Maine. Built in 1859–60, it is an excellent local example of religious Italianate architecture, and one of the state's few surviving churches designed by architect Thomas Holt. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The congregation was founded in 1859, and is affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association; its current minister is Rev. Hillary Collins-Gilpatrick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Congregational Church (Eastport, Maine)</span> Historic church in Maine, United States

The Central Congregational Church is a historic church at 26 Middle Street in Eastport, Maine, USA. The meeting house was built in 1829, and is a remarkably sophisticated example of Federal style architecture for what was then a frontier community. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elm Street Congregational Church and Parish House</span> Historic church in Maine, United States

The Elm Street Congregational Church and Parish House is a historic church complex at Elm and Franklin Streets in Bucksport, Maine. It includes a Greek Revival church building, built in 1838 to a design by Benjamin S. Deane, and an 1867 Second Empire parish house. The church congregation was founded in 1803; its present pastor is the Rev. Stephen York. The church and parish house were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mary's Church (Augusta, Maine)</span> Historic church in Maine, United States

St. Mary's Church is a Roman Catholic church at 41 Western Avenue in Augusta, Maine. Built in 1926, it is one of the city's finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swanton Christian Church</span> Historic church in Vermont, United States

The Swanton Christian Church, formerly the First Congregational Church of Swanton, Old Brick Meetinghouse, and New Wine Christian Fellowship is a historic church in the village of Swanton, Vermont. Built in 1823 and remodeled in 1869, it is a prominent landmark in the village, and a fine local example of Italianate styling on a Federal period building. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Plain Baptist Church</span> Historic church in Vermont, United States

The Georgia Plain Baptist Church is a historic church in Georgia, Vermont. Built in 1877 for a congregation established in 1793, it is a well-preserved example of High Gothic Victorian architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. The congregation is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches of Vermont and New Hampshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (Swanton, Vermont)</span> Historic church in Vermont, United States

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church also known as Holy Trinity Memorial Church is an historic Episcopal church building located at 38 Grand Avenue in the village of Swanton, Franklin County, Vermont. Built in 1876 and expanded in 1909-10, the church facilities include a fine example of the Carpenter Gothic in the older section, and the Late Victorian Gothic Revival in the newer section. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Parish of the Holy Trinity in 2001. The church is an active parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont; its current rector is the Rev. Reid D. Farrell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peterborough Unitarian Church</span> Historic church in New Hampshire, US

The Peterborough Unitarian Church, also once known as the First Church in Peterborough, is a historic American church at Main and Summer streets in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Built in 1825-26 for a congregation founded in 1752, it is one of the state's finest examples of a Federal period church, drawing inspiration from the publications of Asher Benjamin. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portsmouth Academy building</span> United States historic place

The Portsmouth Academy building is a historic academic and civic building at 8 Islington Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Built in 1809, it is one of the finest surviving examples of an early 19th-century academic building in northern New England, and is attributed to James Nutter, one of the finest local builders of the period. In addition to housing the Portsmouth Academy, it later housed the city's public library, and presently houses the Portsmouth Historical Society galleries, gift shop and the Discover Portsmouth Welcome Center. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 as "Portsmouth Public Library".

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 "NRHP nomination for First Parish Church". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-08-03.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to First Parish Church (Dover, New Hampshire) at Wikimedia Commons