South Granville Congregational Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids South Granville Congregational Church |
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South elevation and west profile, 2008
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Congregationalist |
| Leadership | Rick Backus, Senior Pastor |
| Location | |
| Location | Granville, New York, US |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1847; renovated and expanded 1873 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | south |
| Length | 56 feet (17 m) |
| Width | 34 feet (10 m) |
| Materials | Wood, concrete, slate |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Added to NRHP | 2005 |
| NRHP Reference no. | 05000442 |
The South Granville Congregational Church is a historic church located in the small community of South Granville, New York. You can find it on NY 149. This church building, built in the 1840s, is actually the fourth church building in the congregation's long history. It's a white wooden church with a unique look. Right next to it is an old house called a parsonage, where the minister used to live.
The church was updated in 1873, which gave it a more "Late Gothic Revival" style. This means it has features like pointed arches and tall windows, similar to old European cathedrals. It was one of the first churches started in the area after the American Revolution. A very important early pastor was Lemuel Haynes, who was the first African-American minister to be officially ordained in North America. Because of its history and special architecture, the church and its parsonage were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
Contents
Exploring the Church Property
The church and the parsonage are located on a small, curved driveway just off Route 149. The church faces southwest, and the parsonage is to its south. In the middle of the driveway, there's a green area with a special historical marker.
The Church Building
The church building is one story tall and sits on a strong stone base. Its outside walls are covered with vinyl siding over older wooden boards called clapboard. The roof has a pointed shape, known as a gabled roof. A two-part bell tower with a special curved roof (a mansard roof) rises from the middle of the church.
The windows on the front of the church are shaped like rounded arches. Above these windows, you can see fancy carved designs called scrolls.
Inside the church, double doors made of oak wood lead from the entrance area (called the narthex) into the main worship space, known as the sanctuary. In the sanctuary, there are 12 rows of oak pews, which are the long benches where people sit. These pews are arranged on both sides of a center aisle, with smaller aisles on the sides. Each pew has carved, S-shaped armrests and a small brass number plate. The pulpit, where the minister speaks, is also made of oak and has three arches. The railing around the choir loft is also made of oak.
The ceiling of the sanctuary has special curved sections called coves along the walls. These help the sound travel better, making the church great for music. Because of its excellent acoustics, local concerts are often held here, even though there are bigger churches nearby. Five brass chandeliers hang from the ceiling to provide light, along with lights on the walls called sconces. The window behind the choir has a beautiful stained glass picture of the church. Other windows have colored glass borders around clear, textured glass panes.
The Parsonage House
The parsonage, located just south of the church, is a two-story wooden house. It has a roof covered with flat pieces of slate, shaped like a gable. The outside walls are covered with clapboard. At the corners and in the middle of the main part of the house, there are flat, decorative columns called pilasters. These support a simple band of decoration (a frieze) and a box-shaped cornice at the top of the walls. The main part of the house has two smaller sections on its sides, and a smaller kitchen area is attached to the back.
The front door of the parsonage has a special glass pane that is cut at an angle and set back into the door. Inside, on the first floor, many of the original decorative wooden trims and doors are still there. The left side section of the house still has some of its original metal fittings, like door handles. The right side section has its original arched entrance leading to the main part of the house. Upstairs, most of the floors still have their original paint, and the walls are made of old-fashioned lath and plaster.
A Look Back at History
South Granville was first settled in 1789. At that time, the exact border between New York and Vermont (which was its own country back then!) wasn't clear. Settlers hoped their area would become part of Vermont. The community quickly grew.
In 1789, a group of residents decided to create a place of worship. Ministers from Congregational churches in Vermont helped them, so they chose to be part of the Congregational denomination. Their first church was built about a mile west of the village. As more people joined, they built a second church in 1807, right where the current church stands today.
Sixteen years later, in 1823, Lemuel Haynes became the pastor. His time at South Granville was very successful. The church grew, and he was highly respected by everyone. Lemuel Haynes and his family are buried in a nearby cemetery. His house, which is also nearby, has been recognized as a National Historic Landmark.
In 1843, the church decided to build a parsonage for their minister. It was finished a year later. This house was used for meetings and social events, and sometimes rented out when a minister wasn't living there. Four years after the parsonage was built, the church congregation had grown so much that they needed a new, bigger church. This new church, built in 1847, is the main part of the building you see today. It included a tower with a bell made by a company in West Troy.
Since then, the church has changed very little. The ceiling was updated a bit, including the special coves that help with sound. Modern heating was added to the parsonage around 1900. Later in the 20th century, one of the upstairs bedrooms in the parsonage was changed into a bathroom.
See also
