Union Meetinghouse-Universalist Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Union Meetinghouse-Universalist Church
|
|
 |
|
 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 97 Amesbury Rd., Kensington, New Hampshire |
|---|---|
| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1839-40 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 13000008 |
| Added to NRHP | February 13, 2013 |
The Union Meetinghouse or Universalist Church is a very old church building in Kensington, New Hampshire. It was built a long time ago, between 1839 and 1840. This church is a great example of a Greek Revival style building from the mid-1800s. It still looks much like it did when it was first built. In 2013, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, people still use it for church services during the summer.
Contents
What the Church Looks Like
The Union Meetinghouse is located in the center of Kensington, where Amesbury and Osgood Roads meet. It is a one-story building made of wood. It has a pointed roof and its outside walls are covered with clapboards, which are long, thin wooden boards.
The front of the church has a triangular shape at the top, called a pediment. There are two doors on the front. Each door has narrow windows on the sides and a decorative frame above it. The church also has a tall tower with two parts. On top of the tower, there are pointy decorations called Gothic pinnacles. These were added later. The inside of the church still has its original design, including the pulpit and other old fixtures.
How the Church Was Built
This white wooden church, built in the Greek Revival style, was mostly finished in 1839. It was officially opened in 1840. It was first built to be a shared meeting place for several different Protestant church groups. This happened because some groups, like the Congregationalists, had disagreements. Also, more Baptists and Quakers were moving into the area.
The Universalist Church Takes Over
By 1865, many of the original church groups had either stopped meeting or built their own churches. This left the Union Meetinghouse mostly to the large Universalist congregation. In 1915, the town officially gave the land under the church to the Universalist Society.
Recent Updates to the Church
The Meetinghouse had a big restoration project in 2024. This work helped make the building stronger and fix parts that were getting old. New parts were added to support the bell tower, and the tower itself was made level again. The entire roof was replaced, and the bell tower's roof and deck were re-covered with new materials. The outside siding and trim were repaired and painted. Also, an old plaster patch inside the church, which was from the 1940s, was replaced. All these repairs cost over $650,000.
See also
