United Baptist Church of Lakeport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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United Baptist Church of Lakeport
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | 35 Park St., Laconia, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1891 |
| Architect | George H. Guernsey |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 85001198 |
| Added to NRHP | June 06, 1985 |
The United Baptist Church of Lakeport is a special old church located at 35 Park Street in the village of Lakeport. Lakeport is part of Laconia, New Hampshire, in the United States. This church is also known as the Lake Village Free Baptist Church or the Park Street Baptist Church.
It was built in 1891 after an earlier church building was destroyed by a fire. The church shows a mix of styles from the Late Victorian period. Because of its unique design and history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. This list helps protect important historical places.
Contents
Exploring the Church's Design and Past
The United Baptist Church of Lakeport stands in the heart of Lakeport village. Its property stretches between Park Street and Railroad Avenue. It is a large building, about two and a half stories tall, made of wood. It has a roof that slopes steeply.
What the Church Looks Like
The church's shape is like a cross when you look down from above. It has wide sections that stick out from the sides, called transepts. On the front, facing Park Street, one side of the transept has a tall tower with two parts, topped by a cone-shaped roof. The other side has a square tower with five parts.
The bottom part of the church is made of brick. The upper parts use different kinds of decorative wooden shingles. It also has fancy corner boards and trim. Most of the windows have rounded tops, just like the openings in the main tower where the bells are.
A Look at Its History
The church was built in 1891 by a group called the Lake Village Free Will Baptist congregation. Its design is inspired by Victorian Romanesque style, which was popular back then. Inside, the main worship area, called the sanctuary, has a Federal style design. The church can seat 400 people. It also has rooms on the first floor for fellowship gatherings and Sunday School classes.
The church's story began in 1774 as Laconia's First Church on Parade Road. Over the years, the congregation changed many times. The United Baptist Church we see today was formed in 1934. This happened when the Union Avenue Baptist Church joined with the Park Street Baptist Church. The Union Avenue Baptist Church had a belief that God had already decided everything. The Park Street Baptist Church believed that people had the freedom to choose.
The Union Avenue Baptist Church building was taken down. The Park Street Church became the home for the new combined congregation. Next door on Park Street, there is a separate building used for church offices. It used to be white, but a few years ago, it was repainted in its original colors from the 1800s. Today, the church is connected with the American Baptist Churches of Vermont/New Hampshire and the American Baptist Churches USA.
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