Chester Congregational Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Chester Congregational Church
|
|
 |
|
 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 4 Chester St., Chester, New Hampshire |
|---|---|
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1773 |
| Architect | John W. Noyes |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 86001231 |
| Added to NRHP | June 05, 1986 |
The Chester Congregational Church is a very old and special building in Chester, New Hampshire. It stands at 4 Chester Street, right in the heart of town. This church was first built way back in 1773. It started as a simple colonial meeting house, which was a place for both church services and town meetings.
Over the years, the church changed its look. In 1840, it got a big makeover, giving it a beautiful Greek Revival style. Because of its long history and unique design, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. This means it's an important landmark worth protecting!
Contents
What the Church Looks Like
The Chester Congregational Church is easy to spot in the center of Chester. It's a wooden building with a pointed roof. The outside is covered in clapboards, which are long, thin boards. The front of the church is very grand. It has three wide sections, with tall wooden pillars that make it look even bigger.
Special Features of the Building
The main entrance to the church is in the middle. It has two doors set back a little. On either side of the doors, there are pairs of tall, narrow windows. Above the entrance, the roof forms a triangle shape, like a classic Greek temple. This triangle has a special vent in the middle.
Rising from the roof is a tall, three-part tower. This tower holds a clock and a bell. The clock was made by a famous company called E. Howard & Co.. The bell was made by George Handel Holbrook in Medway, Massachusetts. Inside the church, you'll find simple but elegant designs. These include the old-fashioned wooden pews and a curved plaster ceiling.
How the Church Changed Over Time
The main wooden frame of the church was built in 1773. This makes it a very old structure! However, the church got a major new style in the 1840s. This is when it changed from a simple meeting house to the Greek Revival style you see today.
The new design was inspired by a church built in 1839 in nearby Candia. Most of the inside of the church was updated during this time. But if you look closely, you can still see some of the original roof beams and other parts from when it was first built.
See Also
