North Rochester Congregational Church

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North Rochester Congregational Church
North Rochester Congregational Church.jpg
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Location Rochester, Massachusetts
Coordinates 41°46′57″N70°53′39″W / 41.78250°N 70.89417°W / 41.78250; -70.89417 Coordinates: 41°46′57″N70°53′39″W / 41.78250°N 70.89417°W / 41.78250; -70.89417
Area 1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built 1841
Architect Eaton, Solomon K.
Architectural style Greek Revival
NRHP reference # 07001400 [1]
Added to NRHP March 21, 2008

North Rochester Congregational Church is a historic Congregational church at 247 North Avenue in Rochester, Massachusetts. Built in 1841 for a congregation established in 1790, it is a high quality example of Greek Revival architecture. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. [1]

Congregational church religious denomination

Congregational churches are Protestant churches in the Reformed tradition practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs.

Rochester, Massachusetts Town in Massachusetts, United States

Rochester is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,232 at the 2010 census.

National Register of Historic Places federal list of historic sites in the United States

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred preserving the property.

Contents

Description and history

The North Rochester Congregational Church is located on the north side of North Avenue, a major east–west route across the northern part of the town. The setting is rural, with pockets of residential housing nearby. The church is a rectangular wood frame structure, 1 12 stories in height, with a front-facing gable roof, clapboard siding, and a modern concrete foundation. The front (south-facing) facade is symmetrically arranged, with three bays articulated by Doric pilasters and a fully pedimented gable above an entablature that encircles the building. The outer bays are filled with tall, paired sash windows, with the main entrance in the center bay. The side facades have three windows similar to those on the front. The interior has a vestibule area at the rear, with stairs leading up to a gallery and down to the basement, and most of the building is taken up by the main hall. An L-shaped raised platform occupies the northern part of the space, with a combination of open and box pews on the main floor. The basement houses modern amenities, including bathrooms, a kitchen, and meeting space.

Box pew

A Box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th century.

North Rochester's first church was built in 1748, about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the present building, and was served by traveling ministers from other communities. The church congregation was formally organized in 1790, and a new church was built at that time. The current church building was built in 1841 by Solomon K. Eaton, a noted regional builder whose credits include several other area churches. One of the congregation's notable early 19th-century members was Marcus Morton, a three-time Governor of Massachusetts. The congregation, given its small numbers and rural character, frequently struggled financially, and stopped supporting a full-time minister in 1916. Although periodically revived, the congregation struggled throughout the 20th century, with no services held for a roughly twenty-year period in 1970. The building began to decay, and was invaded by raccoons. In 1990 it was again revived, and the building underwent a sensitive restoration that included moving it onto a new foundation. Its interior has had relatively minor alterations since its construction: notable alterations are a reduction in the number of box pews and the introduction of an organ and electrical fixtures. [2]

Marcus Morton American judge

Marcus Morton was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician from Taunton, Massachusetts. He served two terms as Governor of Massachusetts and several months as Acting Governor following the death in 1825 of William Eustis. He served for 15 years as an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, all the while running unsuccessfully as a Democrat for governor. He finally won the 1839 election, acquiring exactly the number of votes required for a majority win over Edward Everett. After losing the 1840 and 1841 elections, he was elected in a narrow victory in 1842.

Governor of Massachusetts head of state and of government of the U.S. commonwealth of Massachusetts

The Governor of Massachusetts is the head of the executive branch of the Government of Massachusetts and serves as commander-in-chief of the Commonwealth's military forces. The current governor is Charlie Baker.

See also

National Register of Historic Places listings in Plymouth County, Massachusetts Wikimedia list article

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Plymouth County, Massachusetts.

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