First Parish Church (Dover, New Hampshire) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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First Parish Church
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | 218 Central Ave., Dover, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1825 |
| Architect | Davis, Capt. James |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 82001696 |
| Added to NRHP | March 11, 1982 |
The First Parish Church is a very old and beautiful church located at 218 Central Avenue in Dover, New Hampshire. It was designed and built by a talented person named Captain James Davis in 1825. He got his ideas from famous architects like Charles Bulfinch and Alexander Parris. This church is the fifth building for a group of people who first met way back in 1633! That makes their congregation the oldest in New Hampshire. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, which means it's an important historical site. Today, the church group is part of the United Church of Christ.
Contents
Exploring the First Parish Church Building
The First Parish Church in Dover is found at the southern end of the city's main shopping area. It sits on the west side of Central Avenue, which is also called New Hampshire Route 9. The church is a tall building made of brick. It has a roof that slopes down on two sides, called a gabled roof. The front of the church has a special stepped shape at the top.
Architectural Style and Features
A wide, three-part section sticks out from the front of the church. This part has a triangular shape at the very top, like a classic temple front. Next to the church tower, there are fancy scroll-like decorations called volutes. The tower itself rises up from the front of the church. It has a square section with a clock. Above that is an open, eight-sided bell tower, which is topped by a smaller, decorative section and a tall, pointed steeple.
The windows on the church are tall and have rounded arches at the top. The front of the church has three doors, each with a flat stone piece above it. Inside the church, you'll find rows of pews that look like they are from the mid-to-late 1800s.
How the Church Was Designed
The church was built in 1825 by James Davis, who was a skilled local builder. Its design was inspired by the original look of St. John's Church in Portsmouth. That church was designed by Alexander Parris and also had those unique scroll decorations. The design of the Portsmouth church was, in turn, based on the work of Charles Bulfinch, another very famous architect. The steeple of the First Parish Church was inspired by a different church in Newburyport, Massachusetts.
A Long History of Faith
The church congregation started in 1633 at a place called Dover Point. This makes it the oldest church group in the entire state of New Hampshire. The place where their second church was built in 1654 is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This shows how important and historic the First Parish Church and its community are to New Hampshire.
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