Centerbrook Congregational Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Centerbrook Congregational Church
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 51 Main St., Essex, Connecticut |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1790 |
| Architect | Capt. John Dennison |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 87000113 |
| Added to NRHP | February 12, 1987 |
The Centerbrook Congregational Church, also called the Centerbrook Meeting House, is a historic building in Essex, Connecticut. You can find it at 51 Main Street in the village of Centerbrook. This church was built in 1790. That makes it the oldest known church in Middlesex County. It is also one of the oldest churches in all of Connecticut! Because of its long history, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
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Discovering the Centerbrook Church
The Centerbrook Congregational Church stands out in the heart of Centerbrook village. It is on the north side of Main Street. The church is a single-story building made of wood. It sits on a strong granite foundation. This foundation is placed on a small hill.
What Does the Church Look Like?
The church has a pointed roof, called a gabled roof. Most of its outside walls are covered with wooden boards. A square tower sticks out from the front of the church. This tower goes up to a bell section. The bell section has round, arched openings for sound. It is topped with a pyramid-shaped roof. Some parts of the tower and the main roof have fancy Victorian-style shingles. The corners of the building have special flat columns. These are called pilasters. All the windows have decorative tops.
A Church That Changed Over Time
The Centerbrook Church was built in 1790. But it has changed a lot over its long history. When it was first built, it was a simple rectangular shape. In 1839, it got a new look. This renovation added features from the Greek Revival style. The tall tower was added much later, in 1889.
The 1889 changes also completely updated the inside of the church. Today, the inside looks almost entirely in the late Victorian style. In 1972, a two-story section was added to the back. This addition created more room. It now holds a community hall, Sunday school classrooms, and a kitchen.
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