Plymouth Congregational Church (New Haven, Connecticut) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Plymouth Congregational Church
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1469 Chapel St., New Haven, Connecticut |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1894 |
| Architect | William H. Allen; Sperry & Treat |
| Architectural style | Romanesque, Richardsonian Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 83001250 |
| Added to NRHP | July 28, 1983 |
The Plymouth Congregational Church, also known as Plymouth Church or Temple Keser Israel, is an old church building in New Haven, Connecticut. It is located at 1469 Chapel Street. This building was finished in the late 1800s.
It is a great example of a style called Romanesque Revival architecture. Because of its special design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. This list helps protect important places in the United States. The building is also a good example of adaptive reuse. This means it was changed to be used for new things, like a synagogue and a medical office.
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What the Church Looks Like
The old Plymouth Congregational Church is in New Haven's Dwight neighborhood. You can find it northwest of the New Haven Green. It sits at the corner of Chapel and Sherman Streets.
It is a large building made of brownstone. It has a special design called Romanesque Revival. The front of the building, facing Church Street, is the most important part. It has a pointed roof (a gable) with two square towers on each side.
The tower on the left is taller than the other. It has a bell tower at the top with a pointed roof. The main entrances to the church were originally at the bottom of this tall tower.
A Building's Journey Through Time
The church was first built for a group called the Missionary Church. This group started in 1831. For many years, they met in different rented places. In 1848, they built their first church building on College Street.
The church group bought the land where the current building stands in 1884. They started building the new church in the early 1900s. When the building was officially opened in 1901, the group changed its name. They became the Plymouth Congregational Church.
The church group was largest in 1929. But after World War II, fewer people attended. In 1949, the building was sold to a Jewish group called Temple Kezar. The original church group later joined with another church.
The building was then used as a Jewish synagogue. It served this purpose until 1968. At that time, Temple Kezar joined with another temple and moved to a new building.
From Empty to New Life
After Temple Kezar moved, the building was empty for several years. During this time, it was damaged by people and water. There was a plan to turn the old church into medical offices. This plan involved adding three new floors inside. It would have removed almost all of the original inside parts.
At first, this plan was not approved. Officials thought it would destroy too much of the original design. However, after looking at how much damage the building already had, the plan was approved. They decided the inside was too damaged to fix. So, the building was changed to fit its new purpose.
See also
