Avon Congregational Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Avon Congregational Church
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 6 West Main St. (Jct. of U.S. 202 and 44), Avon, Connecticut |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1819 |
| Architect | David Hoadley |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001342 |
| Added to NRHP | November 7, 1972 |
The Avon Congregational Church is a beautiful old church building located at 6 West Main Street in Avon, Connecticut. It was built a long time ago, in 1819, for a church group that started even earlier, in 1754! This church is a great example of a style called Federal architecture. It's also considered one of the best buildings designed by a famous architect named David Hoadley. Because it's so special, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Today, the church group is part of the United Church of Christ.
Contents
About the Church Building
You can find the Avon Congregational Church right in the middle of Avon's town center. It's at the corner where Route 44 and Route 202 meet. It's a two-story building made of wood, shaped like a rectangle. It has a part that sticks out at the front for the entrance, and a tall tower with a pointy steeple.
Architectural Style and Features
The front part of the church has three sections, each with a door or window. These sections are separated by tall, flat decorative columns called pilasters. The very top of this front section looks like a triangle, which is called a gable.
The church's tower starts with a plain square section. This part has a round design with a globe shape on it. Above this, there's a low fence-like railing with decorative posts. The next part of the tower is shaped like an octagon (an eight-sided shape). This section has arched openings with louvers, which are like angled slats. These openings are where the church bells are located.
Above the bell section, there's another, smaller octagonal part. This is topped with a short, pointed spire and a weather vane. Each of these tower sections also has a low, decorative railing around it.
History of the Congregation
The church group itself began in 1754. At that time, the area was still part of Farmington. The first church building for this group was located on the east side of the Farmington River. Sadly, that building was destroyed by a fire in 1817.
After the fire, the church group split into two. The current church building was finished in 1819 for the western half of the original congregation. Many people believe this building is one of the best designs by David Hoadley. It shows that he was influenced by the work of another famous architect, Charles Bulfinch.
The church building has faced some challenges over the years. It was damaged by another fire in 1876. Also, during the powerful 1938 New England hurricane, part of its steeple was lost. Luckily, the steeple has since been repaired and restored to its original look.
See also
