Asbury United Methodist Church (Chesterfield, New Hampshire) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Asbury United Methodist Church
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | 532 NH 63, Chesterfield, New Hampshire |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1844 |
| Built by | Coolidge, Oscar C. |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 83004009 |
| Added to NRHP | December 21, 1983 |
The Asbury United Methodist Church is a very old and important church located on NH 63 in Chesterfield, New Hampshire. It's known as the "mother church" for Methodism in New Hampshire. This means it was one of the first and most important Methodist churches in the state. Its church group started way back in 1795, making it the oldest Methodist group that has been meeting continuously in New Hampshire. The church building itself was built in 1844. It's a great example of Greek Revival architecture, which was a popular style at the time. Because of its history and special design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
About the Asbury Church
The Asbury United Methodist Church stands in the middle of Chesterfield town. You can find it on the east side of New Hampshire Route 63. It's a special building that tells a story about the past.
What Does It Look Like?
The church is a one-and-a-half-story building made of wood. It has a rectangular shape with a sloped roof. A tall tower rises from the front of the church. The front part of the church has three main sections. There are doors on the two outer sections and a window in the middle.
A porch without a roof stretches across the front. It has a pretty railing made of crisscross wood patterns. A wide set of stairs leads up to the porch in the center. The tower has two square parts. The bottom part has columns at its corners. The top part holds the church bell. It also has columns that match those on the front of the church.
A Long History
Methodism is a type of Christian faith. It first came to southwestern New Hampshire in 1793. A preacher named Jesse Lee started sharing its message. Enough people became interested to form a church group by 1795. This first group was called the "Chesterfield circuit." This was because Chesterfield was where the group was based.
Before this church was built, the group met in people's homes. They also used schools and other church buildings. The current church building was finished in 1844. A builder named Oscar C. Coolidge constructed it. The church's design shows touches from the early work of Ammi Burnham Young. He was a famous architect from Lebanon, New Hampshire.
See also
