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 Episcopal church in Marblehead, Massachusetts. It was built way back in 1714. This makes it the oldest Episcopal church building in New England that's still in its first spot! Today, it's part of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 because of its importance.
Contents
A Look at St. Michael's Church
St. Michael's Church is located in Marblehead, Massachusetts. It sits on a property that mostly faces Summer Street. But its official address is on Pleasant Street.
Building the Church
The church building was finished in 1714. It started as a church for the Church of England. Many people helped pay for it. Twenty-nine of the first thirty-three donors were sea captains! The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts sent the church its first leader. The original church was square. It looked a lot like the Nieuwe Kerk Church in the Netherlands. The church was made bigger in 1728.
During the American Revolution
The American Revolutionary War started in 1775. In 1776, a group of American patriots visited the church. They removed the British royal coat of arms from the building. Many people who went to St. Michael's Church were Loyalists. This meant they supported the British King. Many of them moved to Canada during the Revolution.
Changes Over Time
In 1793, the original spire on the bell tower was taken down. It had become rotten. The church building got a big makeover in 1833. It received new Gothic-style windows. New pews were added for people to sit on. The altar and pulpit were also updated.
Beautiful stained glass windows were put in the Gothic windows in 1888. These were made by Redding & Baird. Other windows over the south entrance were added later. The church building was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
In the 1980s, workers found some of the original window shapes. This happened while they were replacing the outside walls. Experts also studied the church's crypt area. They wanted to learn about burial practices from the 1700s.
In August 2014, a new spire was put back on the bell tower. This was part of the church's 300th-anniversary celebration!
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The church as it looked with its first 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 were first arranged.
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St. Michael's Church after its steeple was restored 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.
