Highrock Church facts for kids
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Saint Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Photograph taken in 2008
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Arlington, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1841 |
| Architect | Thomas J. Silloway |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| Part of | Arlington Center Historic District (ID85002691) |
| NRHP reference No. | 83000805 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 23, 1983 |
| Designated CP | September 27, 1985 |
Highrock Church is a church in Arlington, Massachusetts. It is part of the Evangelical Covenant Church group. The church started in 1999. It is located in a very old building at 735 Massachusetts Avenue. This building used to be the Saint Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church. The building was first built in 1841 and then changed in 1860. It is a great example of Italianate architecture, which is a special building style. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Building History and Design
The Highrock Church building is in the center of Arlington. It is a rectangular building made of wood. It has a pointed roof and wooden siding. The front of the church has a fancy entrance area. Above this entrance is a tall tower with three parts. A blue dome, called a cupola, sits on top of the tower. Inside, the church looks simpler.
The church building was first built in 1841. It was made for a group called the Universalists. This group had separated from another church. The building first looked like the Greek Revival style. It did not have the fancy front entrance or the tall tower.
In 1860, the church building was changed a lot. An architect named Thomas Silloway designed the changes. He added the fancy front and a tower that was 90 feet (about 27 meters) tall. This tower had a very tall, pointed top called a spire. In 1938, a big hurricane hit New England. The spire was damaged during this storm. It was then replaced with the blue cupola you see today. This church building is known as one of the best examples of early Italianate church design in the Greater Boston area.
In 1961, the Universalist church joined back with the First Parish Church. In 1964, the Saint Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church bought the building. They used it as their church until 2004. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In 2006, the Highrock church bought the building. The Greek Orthodox church had moved to a bigger building in Arlington.
Highrock Church History
The Highrock church group started in 1999. They first met in Needham, Massachusetts. They chose the name "Highrock" from the street where they met. In 2003, they joined the Evangelical Covenant Church. Then, in 2006, they bought the old church building in Arlington.
Highrock Church has also helped start new churches. In 2008, they helped create a new church in Brookline. In the summer of 2012, they helped start two more new churches. These new churches were in Quincy and Salem.
See also
