First Free Will Baptist Church and Vestry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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First Free Will Baptist Church and Vestry
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | 57 Main St., Ashland, New Hampshire |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1834 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 83001140 |
| Added to NRHP | April 8, 1983 |
The First Free Will Baptist Church is a very old and important group of buildings in Ashland, New Hampshire. It's also been known as Miss Perkins' High School and Holderness Academy. This special place includes three main buildings. There's the original brick church, built in 1834. Then, there's an old brick building called the vestry, which started as a school around 1835. It became a church vestry in 1878. Finally, a new wooden building was added in 1899 to connect the two older brick buildings.
When the church was first built, it had a simple, classic style. But over time, its inside was changed to look more modern for its era. This group of buildings was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. This means it's a protected historical site. Today, the buildings are home to the Ashland Community Church.
What the Church Looks Like
The First Free Will Baptist Church stands in the village of Ashland. You can find it on the south side of Main Street, which is also United States Route 3. The church building is made of brick and has one story. It sits on a small hill, looking over the center of the village.
The roof of the church slopes down on two sides. A tall tower with a steeple stands at the front, where the main entrance is. The old vestry building is also made of brick and has two and a half stories. Its roof also slopes down on two sides, with the front facing the street. It has three sections on its front, with the main door in the middle. This door has windows on the sides and above it. The newest building, the new vestry, connects the back parts of these two older buildings.
A Look at Its History
A group of Free Will Baptists started meeting in what is now Ashland in 1818. Back then, this area was part of Holderness. By 1830, the group had grown quite a bit. They decided they needed their own church building, which was finished in 1834.
We don't know all the details about how the church first looked. This is because it was changed many times between 1872 and 1915. These changes made the building look like a typical Late Victorian style. This means it got arched stained glass windows and special shingle designs on its tower. The old vestry building was built around 1835. It was a common type of school building for that time. It was used as a school and also as a vestry for the church. The church bought the school building completely in 1878. The new wooden vestry building was then added in 1899.
See also
