First Congregational Church of Plainfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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First Congregational Church of Plainfield
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 519 Norwich Rd., Plainfield, Connecticut |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1816 |
| Architect | Town, Ithiel |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 86002116 |
| Added to NRHP | July 31, 1986 |
The First Congregational Church in Plainfield, Connecticut, is a very old and important building. It's located at 519 Norwich Road. This church was built in 1816. But the church group, called a congregation, started much earlier, in 1705! A famous architect named Ithiel Town designed it. It's special because it's one of the few stone churches from the Federal period (early 1800s) in Connecticut. In 1986, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's a really important historical site. Today, the church is part of the United Church of Christ.
About the Church Building
The First Congregational Church is on the west side of Norwich Road in Plainfield. It's a large stone building, about two and a half stories tall. The stones used to build it came from nearby areas.
Its Unique Design
The front of the church looks like an ancient Greek temple. It has four tall columns supporting a triangular roof section. This style is called "Doric temple front." The church also has a tall tower with a pointed top, called a steeple.
The bottom part of the tower is made of stone. It has a clock with faces on three sides. Above that, the tower changes to wood. This part is a bell tower, or belfry, with arched openings where the bells are.
History of the Building
This church was built in 1816. A big storm had destroyed the old church building before that. The new design came from Ithiel Town. He was born nearby in Thompson and became a very important architect.
The inside of the church was changed a lot in the 1850s. So, it doesn't look exactly like Ithiel Town first designed it. Besides being a place for religious services, this building was also used for town meetings and other community events in the 1800s.
See also
