St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Lanesborough, Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
St. Luke's Episcopal Church
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Lanesborough, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Built | 1836 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000127 |
| Added to NRHP | February 23, 1972 |
St. Luke's Episcopal Church is a very old and special building located on Route 7 in Lanesborough, Massachusetts. It's one of the first stone churches built in the Gothic Revival style. This means it looks like the grand old churches from the Middle Ages. It's also one of only two churches from the 1800s in Berkshire County that still stands today in this style.
This historic church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Today, it is no longer used as a church. Instead, it has become a cozy bed and breakfast and a place for special events.
About St. Luke's Church
St. Luke's Church stands on the west side of North Main Street, which is also United States Route 7. This area used to be the main center of Lanesborough many years ago. The church is a single-story building made from rough, stacked stones. It has a pointed roof and a square tower that sticks out from the front.
Church Design and Features
The bottom part of the tower is made of stone, going up higher than the roof. Above that, the tower is made of wood. The stone part has a fence-like railing around it with wooden spires at the corners. The wooden section holds the church bell. It has two rectangular openings on each side, topped with pointed arch panels. This wooden part also has a railing and wooden spires.
The main door is at the bottom of the tower. It is set back into a pointed arch opening made of marble. Most of the windows are also pointed arches. There is a special four-leaf clover shaped window high up on the front of the tower.
A Look at History
The St. Luke's Episcopalian group started way back in 1767. This makes it the oldest Episcopal church group in western Massachusetts. The church building you see today was built in 1836. The land for the church was given to the group in 1785.
In 1856, lightning struck the church tower. The bell inside the tower was added later, in 1891. The eight wooden spires on the tower were replaced in 1981. When the church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, it still had most of its original inside features from the 1800s. However, the church group had already moved to a new church built in 1898 in the town center.
See also
