First Universalist Church (Somerville, Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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First Universalist Church
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Somerville, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1916 |
| Architect | Ralph Adams Cram |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| MPS | Somerville MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001262 |
| Added to NRHP | September 18, 1989 |
The First Universalist Church is an old and important building. It is located at 125 Highland Avenue in Somerville, Massachusetts. This church building has a special style called Romanesque. It was built between 1916 and 1923. A famous architect named Ralph Adams Cram designed it. This is the only building he designed in Somerville.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. This means it is a very important historical site. Today, the Highland Masonic Building Association owns it. It is also the home of King Solomon's Lodge AF & AM. This group helped build the famous Bunker Hill Monument.
Contents
What Does the Church Look Like?
The First Universalist Church is on the north side of Highland Avenue. It is across from the First Unitarian Church. The building has a shape like a cross. Its main part runs along the street.
Special Features of the Building
A square tower sticks out from the right side of the front. A pointed section is on the left. The outside of the church is mostly plain stucco. This is a type of plaster. It has brick and terra cotta details. Terra cotta is a reddish-brown clay.
The front of the church has round-arch windows. They are in pairs. Brick frames these windows. A white column, called a pilaster, stands between them. Strong supports, called buttresses, separate these window areas. The main entrance is under a round arch. It is at the bottom of the tower.
The Church Tower
The tower has four levels. Each level is marked by a terra cotta line. The lower levels have round-arch windows. They look like the ones on the main building. The top level has an open bell tower. It also has round-arch openings. A pyramid-shaped roof sits on top of the tower.
History of the Church Building
The church group bought this land in 1915. The building was constructed from 1916 to 1923. Ralph Adams Cram designed it. He was a famous architect who designed many churches. He usually designed buildings in a Gothic style. But this church has a more Romanesque look. It was the last of several churches built on Highland Avenue. This area is northwest of Somerville's main civic center.
Earlier Church Buildings
The First Universalist Society of Somerville started in 1854. That same year, a kind businessman named Charles Tufts gave them land. This land was in East Somerville. It is now at Cross and Tufts Streets. Mr. Tufts also gave land for what is now Tufts University two years earlier.
First and Second Buildings
Money was collected to build a small chapel. This first building was finished in 1855. A larger building replaced it in 1859-60. Sadly, this second building was destroyed by a fire in January 1868.
The church group rebuilt the church again in 1869. This time, they used brick. They stayed in this building until 1915.
What Happened to the Old Building?
After the church moved, the old brick building changed. Nathan Hoffman turned it into a theater called the Orpheum. The theater closed in the 1950s. For many years after that, the building was used as a warehouse. In 2001, the old church was made into homes. These homes are now called the Sanctuary Lofts.
See also
