Old West Church (Boston) facts for kids
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Old West Church
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U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property |
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Old West Church in 2025
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| Location | Boston, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1806 |
| Architect | Asher Benjamin |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Part of | Beacon Hill Historic District (ID66000130) |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000691 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 30, 1970 |
| Designated NHL | December 30, 1970 |
| Designated NHLDCP | October 15, 1966 |
The Old West Church is a historic building located at 131 Cambridge Street in the West End of Boston, Massachusetts. It is a United Methodist Church. This church was built in 1806. The famous architect Asher Benjamin designed it. Many people consider it one of his best works. Its design was copied by many other churches in New England. It is a great example of Federal architecture.
Contents
Discovering the Old West Church's History
Early Days: From 1737 to the Revolution
The very first church building on this spot was made of wood. It was built in 1737. During the American Revolution, British soldiers used it as a place to stay. They even destroyed its tall tower in 1775. The British thought American colonists were using the spire to send signals to Cambridge.
A New Design: The 1806 Church Building
In 1806, the church community decided to build a new church. They asked Asher Benjamin to design it. This new church looks a lot like his earlier design for the Charles Street Meeting House. The Old West Church has a tall brick tower at the front. This tower is about three and a half stories high. A small dome, called a cupola, sits on top of the tower. The tower sticks out a bit from the main church building.
The front of the tower has three entry doors. Four flat brick columns, called pilasters, separate these doors. These columns are two stories tall and have white wood trim. Above each door is a window. The third story of the tower has pairs of Doric columns. On the very top half-story, just below the cupola, there are clocks on each side. Each clock has a decorative light swag below it. The original window at the back, where the central pulpit was, has been filled in with bricks.
Important Voices: Preaching and Ideas
The preaching at Old West Church played a big part in American history. Jonathan Mayhew was the church's second pastor. He was a Congregational minister. As early as 1750, he spoke about people's right to remove unfair leaders. Some people thought his ideas were very new for the time. Others believe he kept many older Puritan ideas.
Some Unitarians think Mayhew was an early supporter of anti-trinitarian views. These views were later shared by ministers like William Ellery Channing. However, Mayhew himself said he was not a Unitarian. It would not be correct to call him one. By the early 1800s, Unitarianism became popular in Boston. It was adopted by 9 of Boston's original 13 traditional Congregational churches. Other important pastors at the church included Charles Lowell and Cyrus Augustus Bartol.
Changing Roles: From Church to Library and Back
The Old West Church was a Congregational church for 150 years. From 1894 to 1960, the building was used as a branch of the Boston Public Library. Since 1961, the United Methodist Church has owned the building.
In 1970, the building was named a National Historic Landmark. This honor recognized its important architectural design.
Gallery
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The church in 1920
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A Linocut picture of the church made by Stanley Scott in 1939 for the Works Progress Administration
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The front of the church in 2012.
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The church is next to the First Harrison Gray Otis House
See Also
