St. Michael's Church (Marblehead, Massachusetts) facts for kids
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St. Michael's Church
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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St. Michael's Church, Marblehead
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 26 Pleasant Street, Marblehead, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1714 |
| Architectural style | colonial with gothic revival changes |
| Part of | Marblehead Historic District (ID84002402) |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000305 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 18, 1973 |
| Designated CP | January 10, 1984 |
St. Michael's Church is a very old and important church in Marblehead, Massachusetts. It belongs to the Episcopal faith. This church was built way back in 1714. It is special because it's the oldest Episcopal church building in New England that is still standing in its original spot. The church was added to a list of important historical places in 1973. This list is called the National Register of Historic Places.
A Look at St. Michael's Church
St. Michael's Church is located in Marblehead. Its main entrance faces Summer Street. The church building was finished in 1714. It was first built as a church for the Church of England. Many of the people who helped pay for the church were sea captains. In fact, 29 out of the first 33 donors were sea captains!
The church was made bigger in 1728. During the American Revolutionary War in 1776, a group of patriots went into the church. They removed the British royal coat of arms. Many church members were Loyalists. This means they supported the British king. They moved to Canada during the Revolution.
Changes Over Time
The original tall spire on the bell tower was removed in 1793. It had become old and rotten. The church building was updated in 1833. It got new Gothic-style windows and new seating areas called pews. The altar and pulpit were also changed.
Beautiful Stained glass windows were put in the Gothic windows in 1888. These were made by a company called Redding & Baird. Other windows were added later over the south entrance.
The church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. In the 1980s, workers found some of the original window designs. They were doing repairs on the outside of the church.
In August 2014, a new spire was put back on the bell tower. This was part of the church's 300th anniversary celebration. It looked much like the original spire.
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This picture shows the church with its original roof and steeple.
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A sketch of St. Michael's Church from 1763 by Ashley Bowen. It shows the original steeple.
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St. Michael's Church in 1818, showing how the windows looked then.
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St. Michael's Church after its steeple was put back in 2014.
More to Explore
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, Massachusetts
- List of the oldest buildings in Massachusetts
- "The Festival" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. It was written in 1923. The story features this church and Marblehead, but calls the town Kingsport.
