Third Meetinghouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Third Meetinghouse
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The Third Meeting House in 2012
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1 Fairhaven Rd., Mattapoisett, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) |
| Built | 1816 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000956 |
| Added to NRHP | January 2, 1976 |
The Third Meetinghouse is a very old and important building in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts. It was built in 1816. This building served as a church and a place for the community to meet. It is also a Grange Hall today. It is the oldest public building still standing in Mattapoisett. A very important meeting happened here. People decided to separate from Rochester at this meeting. This led to Mattapoisett becoming its own town. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. This means it is a special historic place.
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The Third Meetinghouse: A Historic Building
The Third Meetinghouse stands in a key spot in Mattapoisett's town center. It is at the corner of Main and Fairhaven Streets. This building is made of wood and has two stories. It has a pointed roof and its outside walls are covered with clapboards.
What Does It Look Like?
The front of the building has a part that sticks out with a pointed roof. There are entrances on both sides of this part. Above the main roof, there is an eight-sided tower. The second part of the tower has rounded arch openings. The very top of the tower is shaped like a bell. The corners of the building have flat, column-like decorations. The pointed roof parts and the edges of the roof are decorated with small blocks. Many windows have rounded tops, which is a style called Italianate.
A Place of Important History
The Third Meetinghouse was built in 1816. It was built for the Second Parish of Rochester. This group needed a new building because a hurricane blew the roof off their old one. In 1837, people met in this building. They decided to try and become a separate town from Rochester. This led to Mattapoisett officially becoming its own town in 1857.
From Church to School
At first, the building was used for both church services and town meetings. After 28 years, the church group grew too big for the space and moved out. In 1854, the building was changed to be used as a high school. This school operated until 1862. After 1870, the meetinghouse became known as the Barstow School. A local group called the Grange bought the building in 1915.
See also
