Broadway Winter Hill Congregational Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Broadway Winter Hill Congregational Church
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 404 Broadway, Somerville, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1890 |
| Architect | Hartwell and Richardson |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| MPS | Somerville MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001238 |
| Added to NRHP | September 18, 1989 |
The Broadway Winter Hill Congregational Church is a special old church building in Somerville, Massachusetts. It stands at 404 Broadway. This church was built a long time ago, in 1890–1891. It was designed by famous architects named Hartwell and Richardson.
This building is important because it's one of the only examples of the unique Shingle style of architecture in Somerville. It's also considered one of the best-designed buildings from the 1800s in the city. Because of its history and design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. Today, the building is home to the Vida Real Church.
What the Church Looks Like
The Broadway Winter Hill Congregational Church is located on Winter Hill, at the corner of Broadway and Central Street. It's made of wood and has a roof that slopes down on two sides. The bottom part of the church is made of stone. The upper parts are covered in wooden shingles, which gives it its special "Shingle style" look.
The front of the church has three beautiful stained glass windows. On one side, there's a round, two-story tower with a pointy roof. On the other side, facing Central Street, there's a tall square tower. This tall tower has the main entrance under a small roof. The tower looks a bit like a medieval castle, with small windows in its stone base. Above the stone part, there's a wooden section with openings for bells, decorated with fancy woodwork. The tower is topped with a pyramid-shaped roof.
A Bit of History
Church activities for the Congregational group started in the Winter Hill area as a Sunday School way back in 1863. The group officially became a congregation two years later, in 1865.
Over time, the congregation decided to build a new church. They built this beautiful Shingle style building in 1890–1891. Before this, they used an older church that looked like a Carpenter Gothic style building. The famous architects Hartwell and Richardson designed this new church. It's one of the few buildings in Somerville that shows off the unique Shingle style of architecture.
See Also
- Downer Rowhouses, which are next to the church on Central Street
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Somerville, Massachusetts
