Mount Carmel Congregational Church and Parish House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Mount Carmel Congregational Church and Parish House
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 3280 and 3284 Whitney Ave., 195 Sherman Ave., Hamden, Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1840 |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 91001847 |
| Added to NRHP | December 27, 1991 |
The Mount Carmel Congregational Church and Parish House is a special group of buildings in Hamden, Connecticut. It includes a church built in 1840 and a parish house built in 1911. These buildings are famous for their beautiful old-fashioned designs.
The church is a great example of Greek Revival style. This means it looks a bit like ancient Greek temples with big columns. The parish house shows the Colonial Revival style, which brings back designs from early American homes.
Both buildings are considered important historical places in Hamden. Because of their unique beauty and history, they were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. This list helps protect important places across the United States.
Contents
Exploring the Church and Parish House
The Mount Carmel Congregational Church complex is located in northern Hamden. You can find it on the west side of Whitney Avenue, where it meets Sherman Avenue. The church building faces east towards Whitney Avenue.
The Church Building
The church is a single-story building made of wood. It has a pointed roof and its outside walls are covered with clapboards. A tall, square tower rises above the roof. This tower has two parts, each with decorative corners and a flat top edge. A cross sits at the very top of the tower.
The front of the church has a grand porch with tall, fluted columns. These columns support a triangular roof section, just like an ancient Greek temple. This design makes the church look very impressive.
The Parish House
Next to the church, to its north, is the parish house. It is also a single-story building with a gently sloping roof. It has its own entrance porch with columns, which looks similar to the church's grand entrance.
A Look Back: History of the Buildings
The Mount Carmel church community started a very long time ago, in 1757. Back then, this area was still part of New Haven. Their first meeting house was located a bit north of where the church stands today. In fact, the town of Hamden held its very first town meeting in that original building in 1786!
Building the Current Church
By the 1820s, the church members decided they needed a new, bigger building. After a lot of discussion and planning, the beautiful church you see today was finished in 1840. Later, in 1870, the inside of the church was updated. That's when its pipe organ was also put in.
Adding the Parish House
The parish house was built much later, in 1911. It was originally separated from the church by Sherman Avenue. But in 1979, the road was moved a bit north. This change brought the parish house closer to the church, making them feel more like one connected complex.
See also
