South Congregational Church (Newport, New Hampshire)

Last updated
South Congregational Church
South Congregational Church, Newport, New Hampshire.jpg
USA New Hampshire location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location58 S. Main St., Newport, New Hampshire
Coordinates 43°21′40″N72°10′14″W / 43.36111°N 72.17056°W / 43.36111; -72.17056 Coordinates: 43°21′40″N72°10′14″W / 43.36111°N 72.17056°W / 43.36111; -72.17056
Area1.7 acres (0.69 ha)
Built1823 (1823); 1918 (parsonage)
ArchitectJohn Leach; James T. Kelley (parsonage)
Architectural styleColonial Revival, Federal
NRHP reference No. 89000187 [1]
Added to NRHPMarch 30, 1989

South Congregational Church (also known as United Church of Christ in Newport) is a historic church building at 58 S. Main Street (New Hampshire Route 10) in Newport, New Hampshire. The two-story brick church was built in 1823 by the carpenter John Leach for a congregation established in 1779, and is the most northerly of a series of rural churches based on a design used by Elias Carter in the design of the Congregational church in Templeton, Massachusetts. [2] The church building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. [1] The congregation is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.

Contents

Description and history

The South Congregational Church is located (as its name suggests) south of the commercial and civic heart of downtown Newport, at the northeast corner of South Main and Church streets. It is a two-story brick building, with gabled roof. Its front facade is five bays wide, with a gabled entry pavilion projecting from the center three. The bays on the front and sides are articulated by brick piers, which rise to join by arches below the roof cornice. Doorways are set in the three central bays, topped by half-round transom windows. A four-stage tower rises above the entrances, each tier topped by a low balustrade with urned posts. The bottom two stages house a clock and belfry respectively, the latter with arched openings. [2] The church bell was cast in 1822 by Paul Revere & Sons and weighs 1,241 pounds (563 kg). [3] The upper two stages are octagonal, and are capped by a cupola. [2]

Built in 1823, the church is one of western New Hampshire's finest surviving Federal period churches. It was built two years after the similar Acworth Congregational Church, a wooden church tentatively attributed to builder Elias Carter. Carter's designs are known to have been an influence on church construction in the region during the early 19th century, with numerous churches drawing inspiration from the church he built in Templeton, Massachusetts. [2]

The church congregation was founded in 1779. The church's location, outside the present downtown, is the result of a long-running dispute within the town of where its civic heart should be located. The consequence of this disagreement resulted in the placement of the Baptist church at the town common (north of the present-day commercial downtown), and the placement of this church here. [2]

In 1918 the church built a parsonage on the north side of the lot. This was built with funds donated by Lizzie M. Richards and designed by James T. Kelley of Boston. Kelley had previously designed Richards' house in 1898.

See also

Related Research Articles

Windsor Avenue Congregational Church United States historic place

The Windsor Avenue Congregational Church is historic church at 2030 Main Street in Hartford, Connecticut. The brick Romanesque Revival-style church building, completed in 1872, now houses the Faith Congregational Church, whose lineage includes the city's oldest African-American congregation, established in 1819. The church is a stop on the Connecticut Freedom Trail and was listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

Templeton Common Historic District United States historic place

The Templeton Common Historic District encompasses the historic town center of Templeton, Massachusetts. Laid out in the 1750s, the area has been the focus of the town's civic and economic affairs since, and includes its finest assortment of 18th and early 19th-century architecture. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The district was in 2010 named as one of the 1,000 places to visit in Massachusetts by the Great Places in Massachusetts Commission.

Newport Opera House United States historic place

The Newport Opera House is a historic civic building and performing arts venue at 20 Main Street in the heart of downtown Newport, the county seat of Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. Built in 1886, it was billed as having the largest stage in New England north of Boston, and continues to serve as a performance venue today. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as "Town Hall and Courthouse", in 1980, for its architecture and civic roles, and is a contributing property in the Newport Downtown Historic District.

Goffstown Congregational Church United States historic place

The Congregational Church of Goffstown is a historic Congregational church building in the center of Goffstown, New Hampshire, United States. It is a member of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference (CCCC).

Grace United Methodist Church (Keene, New Hampshire) United States historic place

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.

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.

Richmond Community Church United States historic place

The Richmond Community Church is a historic church building on Fitzwilliam Road in Richmond, New Hampshire, United States. Built in 1838, it is a distinctive regionally early example of Greek Revival church architecture executed in brick. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It is now owned by a Methodist congregation.

Third Fitzwilliam Meetinghouse United States historic place

The Third Fitzwilliam Meetinghouse is a historic meeting house on the village green in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire. It presently serves as Fitzwilliam Town Hall. Built in 1817, it is a high-quality example of period church architecture, based closely on the work of regionally noted architect Elias Carter. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, and was included in the Fitzwilliam Common Historic District in 1997.

Congregational Church (Berlin, New Hampshire) United States historic place

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.

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.

St. Johns Church (Portsmouth, New Hampshire) United States historic place

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.

First Parish Church (Dover, New Hampshire) United States historic place

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. 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. The congregation is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.

Acworth Congregational Church United States historic place

Acworth Congregational Church is a historic church at the end of the town common in Acworth, New Hampshire. Built in 1821, its exterior is a well-preserved local example of Federal period architecture, with possible attribution to Elias Carter. Its interior now exhibits a Victorian-era design, distinctive because it has survived later alteration. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. It is now maintained by a local non-profit organization.

Swanton Christian Church United States historic place

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.

Clarendon Congregational Church United States historic place

The Clarendon Congregational Church is a historic church building at 298 Middle Road in Clarendon, Vermont. Built in 1824 and modified with Gothic features in the 1880s, it is a well-preserved 19th-century brick church. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The present minister is Rev. Bill Kingsley.

Loudon Town Hall United States historic place

Loudon Town Hall is a historic New England meetinghouse at 433 Clough Hill Road in Loudon, New Hampshire. Built in 1779 and extensively restyled in 1847, this Greek Revival structure was used for many years for both religious and civic purposes; it now serves principally as a church, housing a Free Will Baptist congregation. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990; it is one of the oldest civic buildings in Merrimack County.

Elias Carter American architect

Elias Carter (1781-1864) was an American architect whose first church design, at Brimfield, Massachusetts, was completed in 1805. He was born in 1781 to Timothy and Sarah (Walker) Carter in Ward, a village of Auburn, Massachusetts. His father, a builder, died when he was three, and the family moved to Hardwick when his mother remarried, to a farmer there. He followed in his father's profession, working in the American South for a time before returning to central Massachusetts. He was responsible for the construction of a number of churches in central Massachusetts, which an early biographer described as "typical white steepled churches of New England". His most influential design appears to have been the church in Templeton, Massachusetts, which inspired the design of at least two others. He also built houses throughout central Massachusetts, as well as a wing of the Westborough State Hospital, and played a role in the construction of the New Hampshire state insane asylum.

Fowler-Steele House United States historic place

The Fowler-Steele House, also known historically as Ivy Hall, is a historic house on North Main Street in Windsor, Vermont, United States. Built in 1805 and restyled about 1850, it has an architecturally distinctive blend of Federal and Greek Revival styles. It served for many years as a local church parsonage. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

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

The First Congregational Church is a historic church at 400 Main Street in Farmington, New Hampshire. Built in 1875 for a congregation founded in 1819, it is the oldest church building in the town, and a distinctive example of Gothic Revival architecture designed by New Hampshire native Frederick N. Footman. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018, and the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places in 2017. The congregation is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.

James T. Kelley (architect) American architect

James T. Kelley (1855–1929) was an American architect practicing in Boston, Massachusetts.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "NRHP nomination for South Congregational Church". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
  3. "Paul Revere Bell List".
The church c.1910 Congregational Church, Newport, NH.jpg
The church c.1910