Forty Fort Meetinghouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Forty Fort Meetinghouse
|
|
Forty Fort Meetinghouse, HABS Photo, November 1934
|
|
 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | River St. and Wyoming Ave., Forty Fort, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Area | 0.1 acres (0.040 ha) |
| Built | 1807 |
| Architect | Hitchcock, Joseph; Underwood, Gideon |
| Architectural style | New England meeting house |
| NRHP reference No. | 88002373 |
| Added to NRHP | November 3, 1988 |
The Forty Fort Meetinghouse is a very old and important building located in Forty Fort, Pennsylvania, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It stands at River Street and Wyoming Avenue, within the Old Forty Fort Cemetery. This special building was constructed between 1806 and 1808. It was designed in a style common in New England at the time, with white wooden siding. Because of its historical value, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Contents
History of the Meetinghouse
Early Settlers and Plans for Churches
The first European settlers arrived in this area from Connecticut in the late 1700s. In 1768, a company called the Susquehanna Company set aside public land for churches. However, building these churches was delayed for more than 30 years. This was due to several conflicts, including the Yankee-Pennamite Wars and the American Revolution. These wars made it difficult and unsafe to build new structures.
Building Delays and Destruction
Before the Forty Fort Meetinghouse was built, another unfinished meetinghouse nearby was destroyed. This happened after a major battle called the Battle of Wyoming in 1778. This event showed how challenging it was to establish communities and buildings during those times.
Construction and Early Use
The Forty Fort Meetinghouse was designed by Joseph Hitchcock. He was from New Haven, Connecticut, and also designed another church in Wilkes-Barre. The Forty Fort Meetinghouse was the first church in the area that was fully completed and used for religious services. It was known as a "Union Church." This meant that two different religious groups shared the building. These groups were the Congregationalists, who are now mostly Presbyterians, and the Methodists.
Later Years and Preservation
By 1837, both the Congregationalist and Methodist groups had grown. They each built their own separate churches. After that, the Forty Fort Meetinghouse was used only rarely for services. In 1869, the state of Pennsylvania created the Forty Fort Cemetery Association. This association still owns and takes care of both the church building and the cemetery today.
Images for kids
-
Interior of the meetinghouse, looking toward the pulpit
-
Interior of the meetinghouse
