Windsor Avenue Congregational Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Faith Congregational Church, U.C.C. (formerly Windsor Avenue Congregational Church)
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Faith (formerly Windsor Avenue) Congregational Church
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2030 Main St., Hartford, Connecticut |
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| Area | 0.6 acres (0.24 ha) |
| Built | 1871 |
| Architect | Samuel J. F. Thayer (1871); Isaac A. Allen Jr. (1904) |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 93000174 |
| Added to NRHP | April 03, 1993 |
The Faith Congregational Church is a special historic building located at 2030 Main Street in Hartford, Connecticut. It used to be called the Windsor Avenue Congregational Church. This church building was finished in 1872. It is built in a cool style called Romanesque Revival, which looks a bit like old Roman buildings.
Today, the building is home to the Faith Congregational Church. This church has a very important history. It includes the oldest African-American church group in Hartford, which started way back in 1819. Because of its history, the church is a stop on the Connecticut Freedom Trail. It was also added to the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1993. This means it's recognized as a very important historical site.
Contents
About the Church Building
What the Church Looks Like
The Faith Congregational Church is in the Clay-Arsenal neighborhood of Hartford. You can find it on the east side of Main Street. It's between Pavilion Street and Battles Street. The church is a two-story building made of red bricks. It has black bricks used for decoration.
The building has a shape that looks a bit like a cross. It has a long main roof that slopes down. One side has a round part that sticks out. The other side has a roof that comes to a point.
The Church Tower and Entrance
On the left side of the building, there's a strong square tower. This tower has supports that stick out. It goes up to a tall, pointed steeple. The front of the church has a big entrance. This entrance is under a pointed roof section. It's set back a little bit. Above the main door, there are three windows. These windows have rounded tops.
How the Church Was Built
The church building was designed by an architect named Samuel J. F. Thayer. He was from Boston. The construction happened between 1871 and 1872. The group that first used the church was called the Windsor Avenue Congregation. This name came from what North Main Street was originally called.
This congregation started as a Sunday school in 1864. It was located at Wooster and Pavilion Streets. The Windsor Avenue congregation officially began in 1869. Their first minister started working there in 1871.
Adding the Parish House
The Windsor Avenue congregation also built another building next to the church. This was a parish house, which is a building used for church activities. It was built in 1904. The design for the parish house was made by Isaac A. Allen Jr..
Later, in 1904, the Windsor Avenue church group joined with another group. They formed the Horace Bushnell Congregational Church. This new church group now meets in a different building. It's the former Fourth Congregational Church building. You can find it at Albany and Vine Streets.
The Faith Congregational Church Today
After the Windsor Avenue group moved, this building was sold. It was bought by the group that would soon become the Faith Congregational Church. This new congregation was formed in 1953. It was a merger of two older church groups. These were the Talcott Street Congregational Church and Mother Bethel Methodist Church.
The Talcott Street congregation is very important. It was founded in 1819. This makes it the oldest African-American church group in the entire city of Hartford.
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