First Trinitarian Congregational Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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First Trinitarian Congregational Church
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Scituate, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1826 |
| Architect | Rev. Daniel Wright, Jr.; et al. |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 02001037 |
| Added to NRHP | September 12, 2002 |
The First Trinitarian Congregational Church is a special old church building in Scituate, Massachusetts. It belongs to the United Church of Christ group of churches. This church was built in 1826. It has a beautiful design called Classical Revival, which looks like old Greek and Roman buildings.
The church was built after its members decided to leave their old church, the First Parish Church of Scituate. This happened because the old church changed its beliefs to Unitarian ideas. The First Trinitarian Congregational Church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. This means it's an important historical place in the United States.
Contents
About the Church Building
The First Trinitarian Congregational Church is in the middle of Scituate. It sits on the west side of Country Way, which is an old and important road.
What the Church Looks Like
The main part of the church is called the sanctuary. It is a two-and-a-half story building made of wood. It has a pointed roof at the front and is covered with wood siding called clapboard. The bottom of the church rests on a strong foundation made of granite stone.
The front of the church faces east and looks very balanced. It has tall, flat columns called pilasters at its corners and between its three main sections, known as bays. The main entrance is in the middle bay. Above the door, there's a round window with slats, and then a special three-part window called a Palladian window. This window has fancy decorations around it.
The sections on either side of the entrance have regular windows that slide up and down, called sash windows. These also have slatted windows above them. The main pointed roof at the front has a full triangular shape, like a pediment, with a small, curved window in the center.
The Church Tower
A square tower rises from the roof of the church. First, there's a plain section. Above that is an open bell tower, called a belfry, with more pilasters. On top of the belfry is a smaller square section with narrow windows. The very top of the church has an eight-sided spire that points towards the sky.
Over time, more parts have been added to the church. Now, the whole building looks like the letter "U" from above.
History of the Congregation
The story of this church's group of members, called a congregation, goes back a long way. The very first church in Scituate was started in 1634. Its early meeting places were closer to the ocean. Later, in 1737, their fourth meetinghouse was built near where the current church stands.
The Church Split
In 1825, the original church congregation split into two groups. This happened because of different ideas about Christian beliefs. One group believed in Trinitarian ideas, which means believing in God as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The other group became Unitarian, believing in God as one being.
Even though the Unitarians kept the fifth meetinghouse, the Trinitarians wanted to keep the name "First." They felt they were staying true to the original teachings from the 1630s. So, they built this new church in 1826. It is about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) north of the old meetinghouse.
Changes Over Time
Since it was first built, the church has had some important changes. The original dome-like top was replaced with the spire you see today. Also, the front of the church and the inside balcony were redesigned in the 1890s.
See also
