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 a very old and important building in Somerville, Massachusetts. It was built a long time ago, between 1916 and 1923. A famous architect named Ralph Adams Cram designed it. This church is special because it's the only building he designed in Somerville.
The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical site in the United States. Today, the building is owned by the Highland Masonic Building Association. It is home to King Solomon's Lodge AF & AM, a group of Masons who helped build the famous Bunker Hill Monument.
Contents
About the Church Building
The First Universalist Church is located on Highland Avenue in Somerville. It has a unique shape, like a cross, which is called a "cruciform" shape. The longest part of the building runs along the street.
Building Features
- At one end, there's a tall, square tower.
- At the other end, there's a part that sticks out with a pointed roof, called a gable.
- The outside of the church is mostly covered in plain stucco.
- It has special decorations made of brick and terra cotta. Terra cotta is a type of baked clay.
Windows and Entrance
The front of the church has pairs of round-arch windows. These windows are framed with brick and have a white pilaster in between them. A pilaster is like a flat column attached to a wall. Strong supports called buttresses, with brick tops, separate these window sections.
The main entrance is tucked away inside a round-arch opening at the bottom of the tower.
The Tower
The tower has four main sections, marked by decorative lines called string courses made of terra cotta. The lower parts of the tower have round-arch windows, just like the main building. The very top section has an open belfry, which is where bells would be. It also has round-arch openings. The tower is topped with a pyramid-shaped roof.
Building History
The church group bought this land in 1915. The church was then built from 1916 to 1923. It was designed by Ralph Adams Cram, who was well-known for designing churches. He usually designed churches in a style called Gothic Revival. However, this church is a bit different, with a more Romanesque style. This church was one of the last churches built along this part of Highland Avenue in Somerville.
Earlier Church Buildings
The First Universalist Society of Somerville, the church group, started in 1854. That same year, a local businessman named Charles Tufts gave them a piece of land in East Somerville. This was two years after he gave a much larger piece of land to what is now Tufts University.
First Buildings
- Money was raised to build a small chapel, which was finished in 1855.
- This chapel was replaced by a bigger building constructed in 1859-60.
- Sadly, this second building was destroyed in a fire in January 1868.
Rebuilding and New Uses
The church group rebuilt the church again in 1869, this time using brick. They stayed in this building until 1915, when they moved to their current location.
After the church moved, the old brick building was changed into a theater called the Orpheum. This happened in the 1950s. After the theater closed, the building was used as a warehouse for many years. In 2001, the old church building was renovated into apartments. These apartments are now known as the Sanctuary Lofts.
See also
