St. Mark's Methodist Church (Brookline, Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Mark's Methodist Church
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 90 Park St., Brookline, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 1.1 acres (0.45 ha) |
| Built | 1892 |
| Architect | George Albert Clough |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000268 |
| Added to NRHP | December 17, 1976 |
St. Mark's Methodist Church is a historic building located at 90 Park Street in Brookline, Massachusetts. Construction on this church began on April 9, 1892. It was designed by a local architect named George A. Clough. He used a style known as Romanesque. The church building was no longer used by its congregation after 1968. In 1976, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the building has been changed into apartments.
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About the Church Building
The old St. Mark's Methodist Church building is in a neighborhood near Coolidge Corner. It sits at the corner of Vernon and Park Streets. The church has a special shape called "cruciform," which means it looks like a cross. This shape is common in Romanesque buildings.
Building Materials and Design
The church walls are made from different colored stones found nearby. These stones are called Brighton ledge stone. Gray sandstone from Nova Scotia was used for the trimmings. Large columns inside are made of Indiana limestone.
The front of the church faces a park. On the left side, there is a square tower. On the right, there is another square part that sticks out. In the middle, above the main entrance, you can see a large round window. This type of window is called a rose window. Both the square tower and the right-side part have a rounded corner tower. These small towers have pointy, cone-shaped roofs. The main door was originally at the bottom of the square tower. The long sides of the church have five round-arch windows each. These windows lead to the transept area, which is the part of the church that crosses the main section.
Church History and Changes
The church was built between 1891 and 1896 for the Methodist Society of Brookline. They hired George A. Clough, an architect from Brookline, to design it. St. Mark's Church was officially opened in October 1896.
The first plans for the church included a carillon tower. A carillon is a musical instrument made of many bells. This tower was supposed to be built on top of the left-side tower. However, the ground in that area was not strong enough to hold such a heavy tower. The church was used by the congregation until 1968. After that, the congregation moved to share a building with two other churches in Brookline. The old church building was then changed into homes.
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