Church of the New Jerusalem (Cambridge, Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Church of the New Jerusalem
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Cambridge, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Built | 1901 |
| Architect | Warren, Smith, & Biscoe |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| MPS | Cambridge MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 83000792 |
| Added to NRHP | June 30, 1983 |
The Church of the New Jerusalem (also known as Swedenborg Chapel) is a special historic Swedenborgian church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is located very close to Harvard University. This beautiful building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. This means it is recognized as an important historical place in the United States.
A Look at the Church's History
The church building was first built in 1901. It was originally a chapel for The New Church Theological School. This school later moved to Berkeley, California and is now known as the Swedenborgian House of Studies.
The chapel was designed by Herbert Langford Warren. He was a very important architect who started the Harvard School of Architecture. This school is now called the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Mr. Warren was also a member of the Cambridge church. His father was a Swedenborgian missionary.
The New Church Theological School built the chapel on land bought in 1889. The goal was to have a place for both the school and a Swedenborgian church group in Cambridge. Later, in 1965, a new part called the Parish House was added to the chapel.
In 2002, the Swedenborg School of Religion sold the chapel. It was bought by the Cambridge Society of the New Jerusalem. This group is the church congregation that had been using the chapel since it was first built.
What the Church Looks Like
The church building is about one and a half stories tall. It has a pointed roof and is made of stone. The style is called English Gothic Revival. This style looks like old churches from the Gothic period in England. The church is built with rough stone and has smooth limestone details. Its roof is made of green and purple slate tiles.
The church is shaped like a rectangle. It faces east and west, which is a traditional way for churches to be built. You enter through a one-story porch at the west end. On the west wall, next to the porch, are tall, narrow windows. These windows have special carvings above them. The windows themselves have beautiful stained glass. One shows "The Good Shepherd" and another shows "Behold, I stand at the door and knock."
The altar, which is a special table used in church services, is at the east end. It is in a small, projecting section with a gabled roof. There are also other smaller parts of the building. These include a side entrance and a chimney on the south side. On the north side, there was once a hip-roofed section, but it is now hidden by the Parish House added in 1965.
The Church Community
The church community, or congregation, started in the 1880s. However, it became a formal group when the building was finished in 1901. Since then, Swedenborg Chapel has had nine pastors. The current pastor of the congregation is The Rev. Sage Cole.
Like many Swedenborgian churches, this chapel is also used as an interfaith wedding chapel. This means people from different faiths can get married there.
See also
