Evangelical Baptist Church (Laconia, New Hampshire) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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The Cake Theater
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Veterans Square, Laconia, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 0.1 acres (0.040 ha) |
| Built | 1836 |
| Architect | Davis, Arthur L. |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Gothic |
| NRHP reference No. | 85002189 |
| Added to NRHP | September 12, 1985 |
The Cake Theater is a really old and interesting building in Laconia, New Hampshire. It has been known by many names, like the Meredith Bridge Congregational Church and the Evangelical Baptist Church. This historic building was first built in 1836. Over the years, it has changed a lot to fit different uses and styles. In 1985, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list helps protect important buildings in the United States.
Contents
About the Building
The Cake Theater stands on Veterans Square in the middle of Laconia. It is next to the current Congregational church. Across the street is the old train station.
What It Looks Like
This building has two floors and is made of wood. It has a pointed roof and its outside walls are covered with clapboard siding. A square tower sticks out a little from the front. This tower goes up to a tall, eight-sided spire. The corners of the building have flat, decorative columns. These go up to a fancy border near the roof. The windows on the first floor are small and rectangular. But the windows on the top floor are tall with rounded tops. Some of these even have two smaller rounded windows inside them.
Building History
The building was first built in 1836 for a group of Congregationalist church members. Their old church had burned down. When it was first built, it looked like a Greek Revival style building.
Big Changes Over Time
In 1871, the building got a big makeover. Workers actually lifted the building to add a whole new first floor underneath it. They also made the tower much taller.
Fires and Hurricanes
In 1902, a fire in the city center caused a lot of damage. Gunpowder at a nearby hardware store exploded, hurting the church. A Baptist church group bought the damaged building. They moved it to its current spot in 1903. Later, in 1938, a huge storm called the New England Hurricane of 1938 hit. It knocked down the top parts of the tower. After that, a new steeple was built, and a new bell was put in place.
New Uses for an Old Building
The Evangelical Baptist Church was the last church group to use the building. They moved to a new location in 2013. After that, the building became a restaurant and pub called The Holy Grail. It opened in May 2014 but closed in April 2017. In May 2020, the building was bought by Justin Spencer. He is known for the music group Recycled Percussion.
