First Congregational Church of East Haven facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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First Congregational Church of East Haven
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 251 Main St., East Haven, Connecticut |
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| Area | 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) |
| Built | 1774 |
| Built by | Lancraft, George |
| NRHP reference No. | 82004349 |
| Added to NRHP | March 25, 1982 |
The First Congregational Church of East Haven is a really old and special building in East Haven, Connecticut. People sometimes call it the Old Stone Church because it's made of stone! It was built a long, long time ago, between 1772 and 1774, even before the American Revolutionary War started. It's one of the few churches from that time that are still standing in Connecticut. It's also one of the oldest stone churches in all of New England, with only a few others like King's Chapel in Boston, Massachusetts being older. Because it's so important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Today, the church is part of the United Church of Christ.
Contents
About the Old Stone Church
The First Congregational Church stands in a very important spot in the center of East Haven, right at the end of the town green. It's a two-and-a-half story building. It was built using red sandstone, which is a type of rock found nearby in Fair Haven. The stones were put together with a mix of old lime mortar and newer cement mortar.
What Does It Look Like?
A tall, square tower rises from the front of the church, which faces west. This tower has three main levels. Above them, there's a clock, then a wooden bell tower (called a belfry) with fancy old designs. On top of everything is an eight-sided steeple that points towards the sky. The main doors are on either side of the tower. The windows are rectangular with stone sills and sloped tops. There's also a small stone ledge that goes all the way around the building between the floors.
Changes Over Time
Inside, the church looks mostly like it did after a big update in 1850. During that time, the pulpit (where the minister speaks) was moved from the long north wall to the east end. The main entrance was also moved. Originally, it was in the middle of the long south wall. This was a common design for colonial meeting houses back then.
Building the Church
The church was built between 1772 and 1774 by George Lancraft. He was a stonemason from Fair Haven. Lancraft and the church's building committee worked together on the design. They even made some changes while it was being built, like making the building longer and adding the tower.
A War Story
During the American Revolutionary War, British soldiers raided the church. They took valuable silver items from inside. This shows how old and important the church was even during that historic time.
See Also
