First Congregational Church of Boscawen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
First Congregational Church of Boscawen
|
|
 |
|
 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 12 High St., Boscawen, New Hampshire |
|---|---|
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1799 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 82001689 |
| Added to NRHP | April 19, 1982 |
The First Congregational Church of Boscawen is a very old and special church in Boscawen, New Hampshire. It was built way back in 1799! This church is unique because it's not just a place for worship. It also serves as a community center where important town meetings and elections happen in its basement. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, recognizing its importance.
Contents
What Makes This Church Special?
The First Congregational Church of Boscawen stands out because it's one of the few old "meeting houses" left in New Hampshire. These meeting houses used to be places for both religious services and town business. Even today, the church's basement is still used for town meetings and voting. This shows how important the building has been to the community for a long time.
The Church's Design and History
How the Church Looks
The First Congregational Church is a two-story building made of wood. It has a pointed roof and its outside walls are covered with clapboards. The front of the church looks like an ancient Greek temple. It has tall, flat columns called pilasters on the corners. These support a decorative band called an entablature, which goes all around the sides of the building.
A tall church tower rises from the middle of the front. It has three parts. The bottom part is a square room. The middle part is an open bell tower, where the bells would be. On top of that is a tall, eight-sided steeple.
A Building That Moved!
The church was first built in 1799. Back then, it was used for both church services and town meetings, just like many buildings in colonial times. Its main entrance was on the long side of the building.
In 1839, the church had a big makeover. They actually turned the whole building 90 degrees! This meant the main entrance moved to a shorter side. They also changed the inside, replacing old-fashioned box pews with the pews you see today.
Later, in 1847, the town needed a place for meetings. So, they asked the church if they could use the basement. To make space, the church building was lifted up several feet! This allowed the town to use the basement for elections and other important town activities. The town still uses this space today.
The church was moved again in 1940, another 90 degrees! This time, it was to make way for changes to a main road, US Route 3. Imagine a building that has been turned twice!
See also
