Union Episcopal Church (Claremont, New Hampshire) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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English Church
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | 133 Old Church Road Claremont, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 6 acres (2.4 ha) |
| Built | 1773 |
| Architect | Rice, Ebenezer |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000318 |
| Added to NRHP | February 1, 1980 |
The Union Episcopal Church, often called the English Church, is a very old and important church building. You can find it on Old Church Road in Claremont, New Hampshire. It was built way back in 1773.
This church is special because it's the oldest Episcopal church still standing in New Hampshire. It's also the oldest building in the state that was built only for religious services. Even today, it's still an active church for the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire. Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 1, 1980. This means it's recognized as a place important to the history of the United States.
How the Church Began
The church community, called a "parish," started in 1771. Later, in 1794, the New Hampshire government officially recognized it as the Union Church Parish. At first, people from two different Christian groups, Episcopalians and Congregationalists, thought about sharing one minister. However, this plan never happened.
The next year, a minister named Daniel Barber became the church's leader, known as a rector. He used to be a Congregational minister. His son, Virgil Barber, also became an Episcopal priest. But in 1816, Virgil left the Episcopal Church. He became a Jesuit priest, which is part of the Roman Catholic Church. He later started St. Mary's Parish in Claremont, which was the first Roman Catholic church in New Hampshire.
Changes to the Church Building
When the Union Church was first built, it looked a bit different. It didn't have a tall tower, and it was a simpler building. Even so, it had very strong wooden beams supporting its roof.
In 1801, the church added its tower. Then, in 1820, the building was made longer by about 25 feet (7.6 meters). At that time, they also added a special pulpit and reading desk inside. These parts were later removed in 1850. They were replaced with the altar setup you see today. The church property also has some old horse sheds, which are quite rare to find from that time period.
More to Explore
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Sullivan County, New Hampshire
- New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 57: Union Church
