Unitarian Church (Hampton Falls, New Hampshire) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Unitarian Church
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Exeter Rd., Hampton Falls, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 0.1 acres (0.040 ha) |
| Built | 1838 |
| NRHP reference No. | 84000558 |
| Added to NRHP | December 13, 1984 |
The Unitarian Church in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, is a really old and special building. It was built way back in 1838! This church is unique because of its cool Greek Revival style and the amazing painted artwork inside. It's so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Today, people still use it for church services during the summer months.
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Discovering the Church's Design
The Hampton Falls Unitarian Church is located in a quiet, natural area. You can find it on the north side of Exeter Road. It's a wooden building with a pointed roof. The outside is covered with overlapping wooden boards called clapboards.
A Unique Greek Revival Style
The front of the church looks like an ancient Greek temple. It has two round columns that support a decorative band called an entablature. This entablature goes all the way around the building. Above the columns is a triangular part called a pediment. This style, where the front wall is set back behind the columns, is very rare in New Hampshire.
Amazing Art Inside the Church
When you step inside, you'll see one big room with a curved ceiling. On the ceiling and walls, there's incredible artwork that looks like real architectural features. This type of art is called trompe-l'œil, which means "deceive the eye" in French. It makes flat surfaces look three-dimensional! You might see painted columns and arches that look real. The inside of the church still looks almost exactly as it did when it was built.
History of the Unitarian Church
This church was built around 1838. It hasn't changed much since then. The only big changes on the outside are new electric lights by the doors. Also, the original roof was blown off in a hurricane in 1949 and had to be replaced.
A Place of Worship for Generations
The Unitarian Church was built close to where an even older meeting house stood in 1768. It took over the role of that older building. The area around the church is still very rural and peaceful, just as it was long ago. The church's special Greek temple front is thought to be the only one of its kind in New Hampshire. The artwork inside is also considered some of the best in churches from that time period.
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