Universalist Society Meetinghouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Universalist Society Meetinghouse
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Universalist Society Meetinghouse
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 Location in Cape Cod
Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 3 River Road, Orleans, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1834 |
| Architect | Taylor, David Jr. |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 99000186 |
| Added to NRHP | February 25, 1999 |
The Universalist Society Meetinghouse is a historic building in Orleans, Massachusetts. It was built in 1834 and is a great example of Greek Revival architecture. This was the only Universalist church ever built in Orleans. Today, the building is home to the Orleans Historical Society and is called the Meeting House Museum. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999 because of its importance.
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What the Building Looks Like
The meetinghouse is located on River Road in the center of Orleans. It is a two-story building made of wood. It has a pointed roof and sits on a strong granite base. The outside walls are covered with painted wooden shingles.
Building Features
The front of the building faces east. It has two main doors. Each door has tall, flat columns next to it. Above each door, there is a window on the second floor. The top part of the front wall is shaped like a triangle. In the middle of this triangle, there is a small, pointed window.
Inside the Meetinghouse
Inside, the building has one large open room. There is a balcony that goes around three sides of the room. Originally, there were special seats called box pews on the main floor. These were removed before the 1900s. People then used folding chairs. However, some of the original box pews can still be seen in the balcony. The ceiling used to be domed, but it is now covered by a metal ceiling from the 1800s. Today, the building shows off museum exhibits.
History of the Meetinghouse
The Universalist group in Orleans started around 1832. Many people left the local Congregational Church. They had different ideas about religion. The new Universalist group officially formed in 1833.
Building the Church
Their new meetinghouse was built by David Taylor Jr. The land for the building was given by David Taylor Sr. He was a former ship captain and the local postmaster. The building was made bigger sometime in the 1800s. About 15 feet (4.6 meters) were added to the west end. This likely happened between the 1840s and 1860s. This was when the Universalist group had the most members.
Later Years and New Purpose
Over time, fewer people joined the Universalist church. In 1939, the Universalists and Congregationalists joined together again. They held their services at the Congregational church. The meetinghouse was then used as a Sunday school. In 1971, the building was sold to the Orleans Historical Society. Now, it serves as a museum for everyone to learn about local history.
See also
