First Parish Church Site-Dover Point facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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First Parish Church Site-Dover Point
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Dover Point Rd., Dover, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 0.4 acres (0.16 ha) |
| Built | 1653 |
| Architect | Walderne, Richard |
| NRHP reference No. | 83001153 |
| Added to NRHP | May 27, 1983 |
The First Parish Church Site-Dover Point is a special historical place in Dover, New Hampshire. It's where the second church building of the First Parish Church once stood. This church group started way back in 1633. The building itself was built in 1653. It was taken down in the 1700s. What makes this site unique is that it was built like a fort! It had strong log walls (a palisade) and earth mounds to protect people from attacks. This old church site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 because of its importance.
Contents
The Story of Dover Point
Dover Point is a piece of land in southern Dover. It sits between the Piscataqua River, the Bellamy River, and the Great Bay. The first settlers of Dover arrived here in 1633. They came from Salem, Massachusetts.
The First Church Buildings
The very first church building, called a colonial meeting house, was built at Hilton Point. This spot is the southern tip of Dover Point. Sadly, that first church site is now gone. It was covered up when the Spaulding Turnpike was built.
The second meetinghouse was built in 1653. It was placed a bit further north on Dover Point. This location was closer to where the settlers had built their first village.
A Fortified Church
Records show that this second church building was about 40 feet (12 meters) long and 26 feet (8 meters) wide. Sometime between 1667 and 1675, it was made stronger. Workers built an earth wall with tall log fences (a palisade) on top.
This defense system worked well. It helped protect the community during a conflict called King Philip's War. In 1713, a brand new church was built at "Pine Hill." This area is now the center of Dover.
Services at the Dover Point location stopped around 1720. The old church building was taken down later in the 1700s. The site was left empty, but people always remembered where it was. Its location was even written down in local history books. In 1889, the land was given back to the church group. They have taken care of it ever since.
What You Can See Today
The historic site is on the west side of Dover Point Road. It's across from Forsythia Drive. You can spot it by a sign. A low stone wall lines the edge of the site facing the road.
The grassy area covers the old church foundations. You can also see the remains of the earth walls that once surrounded it. These earthworks were shaped like a rough rectangle. They had raised areas at two corners. These raised spots were where people could stand to watch for danger.
See Also
