Nomination for Center Methodist Church

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Form No. 10-300 (Rev.

10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 840294594 DATA SHEET FOR NPS USE ONLY RECEIVED 0CT 2 0 1975 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM DATE ENTERED OCT 3 1 975 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS 1 NAME HISTORIC Center Methodist Church AND/OR COMMON Center for the Arts LOCATION STREET & NUMBER 356 Commercial Street CITY, TOWN Provincetown STATE Massachusetts 02657 VICINITY OF CODE 025 -NOT FOR PUBLICATION CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT twelth COUNTY Barnstable CODE 001 3 CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY DISTRICT X _BUILDING(S) STRUCTURE -SITE _OBJECT OWNERSHIP PUBLIC X PRIVATE _BOTH PUBLIC ACQUISITION _IN PROCESS _BEING CONSIDERED STATUS X OCCUPIED -UNOCCUPIED -WORK IN PROGRESS ACCESSIBLE X -YES: RESTRICTED - YES: UNRESTRICTED -NO PRESENT USE AGRICULTURE -MUSEUM -COMMERCIAL _PARK X EDUCATIONAL _PRIVATE RESIDENCE _ENTERTAINMENT _RELIGIOUS _GOVERNMENT SCIENTIFIC _INDUSTRIAL -TRANSPORTATION _MILITARY -OTHER: OWNER OF PROPERTY NAME First National Bank of Cape Cod STREET & NUMBER Commercial Street CITY.

TOWN Provincetown - VICINITY OF 5 LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION STATE Massachusetts 02657 COURTHOUSE. REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC. Barnstable County Registry of Deeds STREET & NUMBER Route 6A CITY. TOWN Barnstable STATE Massachusetts REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE Inventory of the Historic Assets of the Commonwealth DATE 1975 _FEDERAL X -STATE COUNTY LOCAL DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS CITY. TOWN Massachusetts Historical Commission Boston STATE Massachusetts DESCRIPTION CONDITION -EXCELLENT _GOOD XFAIR DETERIORATED -RUINS _UNEXPOSED CHECK ONE _UNALTERED X_ALTERED CHECK ONE x -ORIGINAL SITE _MOVED DATE_ DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

The Center Methodist Church is a white clapboard 2 story structure whose bell tower design was based on the pattern established by the English baroque architect, Sir Christopher Wren. The church faces south on Commercial Street towards Provincetown Harbor and is surrounded by small one and two story residential and commercial buildings. It is situated on one of the highest points of land in the town, and this topographical advantage, combined with the height of the tower, make the church an important visual landmark from the harbor. A two story projecting pavilion, one bay deep and three bays wide, is the focus of attention on the facade. The first floor of the center pavilion is of wood made to look like smooth faced rusticated stone. The bays are articulated by round headed wall arches, with rusticated voysoirs and keystones.

A thick stringcourse marking the springing point of the arches runs across the sides and front of the first floor. The second floor of the pavilion, the building's principal story, has a tall slender round headed wall arch flanked by ionic pilasters in each elevation. A balustrade above the full entablature and modillioned cornice completes the central pavilion. The main body of the church is rectangular in shape and also demonstrates the im- portance of the second floor as the main meeting room story. The windows on the side elevations were altered when the building was converted into a museum, but the hood moldings over the windows on the second story were retained. The string course between the first and second floors on the center pavilion, as well as the full entablature and cornice extend from the pavilion onto the facade and continue around the building. 22E1 85.

ist: The two stage tower rises from the center of the pediment and rests partly on the roof and partly on a massive five sided base which is enclosed by the balustrade on top of the central pavilion. The base and the tower, as well as the pediment and facade, are of flush boarding treated to represent stone. The first stage of the tower has eight sides: four broad elevations each containing a round headed wall arch with a molded surround and articulated keystone and flanked by pilasters whose capitals mark the springing point of the arches, and four narrow recessed elevations each with a tall slender segmental wall arch. The heavy cornice follows the planes of the eight elevations, creating a baroque broken cornice line. The second stage of the tower is also eight sided but does not have the recessed and projecting masses.

A round headed arched opening with the same moldings, key- stones and pilasters found on the second stage wall arches pierces each of the eight sides. A balustrade circles the base of the second stage between the arched openings, and a heavy cornice rests on top of the narrow entablature. A carved finial in the center of the roof of the second stage takes the place of a steeple which was lost during a hurricane in 1889. The interior of the building and the windows on the side elevations were altered when the church was converted into an art museum in 1958. The meeting room on the second floor was divided into two floors and the stained glass windows were removed and re- placed by plain 1/1 sash.

The original double staircases, curving up from either side of the main entrance, are still intact and the trompe l'oeil ceiling paintings, although they are not easily visible because of the alterations, are extant.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD PREHISTORIC 1400-1499 _1500-1599 .1600-1699 X1700-1799 1800-1899 - 1900- ARCHEOLUGY-PREHISTORIC ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC X AGRICULTURE ARCHITECTURE X ART _COMMERCE -COMMUNICATIONS AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE -- CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW -COMMUNITY PLANNING -LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE _CONSERVATION -LAW _ECONOMICS _LITERATURE EDUCATION - MILITARY ENGINEERING _MUSIC _EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT _PHILOSOPHY _INDUSTRY -POLITICS/GOVERNMENT _INVENTION _RELIGION .SCIENCE _SCULPTURE _SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN THEATER -TRANSPORTATION _OTHER (SPECIFY) SPECIFIC DATES 1861 BUILDER

Statement of significance

/ARCHITECT STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Center Methodist Church,, a significant architectural landmark in Provincetown, is important for its historical and cultural contributions to the development of the community. The church was built in 1861, the fourth structure to be constructed by the Methodists in Provincetown, who used it for religious purposes until 1961 when the building was sold to Walter P. Chrysler to house an art collection. The Methodist congregation included many members of Provincetown's artistic community, and as the second oldest church extant in the village, was important in developing the community's image. The Center Methodist Church, clearly visible from Provincetown Harbor, was also an important visual landmark from the sea.

It was portrayed in/innumerable paintings, sketches, and etchings as a dominant part of the skyline of Provincetown, and the church tower was the first building that was visible to fishermen returning from sea. The building is an outstanding architectural landmark in a community which is largely composed of small scale, unostentatious structures. The detailing on the facade and the magnificent tower (even without its steeple) are a definite statement of community pride. The architectural significance of this building with its massive scale and elaborate Wren-baroque ornamentation and the building's importance to the community cannot be underestimated. Future plans for the structure are uncertain.

After the Walter Chrysler Museum was closed in 1974 the building was converted into a Center for the Arts to house various functions related to the arts, but funding ran out and plans are now awaiting further financial developments.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES History of New England Southern Conference, Vol. 1, compiled by Rev. Rennetts C. Miller 1897 Jenning's Provincetown or Odds & Ends from Cape Cod, Fred Hallet, Yarmouthport, MA 1890 Art in Narrow Streets, Ross Moffett, Falmouth MA 1964 10 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY approx.

* acre UTM REFERENCES A119/ 410,119,5,01 ZONE 14.615,611,80 EASTIN NORTHING VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION UTAOK wm 12-5-75 ZONE EASTING NORTHÍNG NORTHING PULLILULILILIL LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE CODE COUNTY CODE STATE CODE COUNTY CODE 11 FORM PREPARED BY NAME / TITLE Christine Boulding, Assistant Survey Director, and Thomas Randleman ORGANIZATION DATE Massachusetts Historical Commission October 7, 1975 STREET & NUMBER 294 Washington Street CITY OR TOWN Boston TELEPHONE 617-727-8470 STATE Massachusetts 02108 12 STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER CERTIFICATION THE EVALUATED SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTY WITHIN THE STATE IS: NATIONAL - STATE - LOCAL As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665).

I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service. STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER SIGNATURE Cliabeet Reed Amadon TITLE Mass. State Historic Preservatton Officer DATE 10/14/75 OR NPS USE ONLY DATE DATE 10/31/75 10/31/2 CREPER Of THE NATIONAL REGISTER GPO 888-445 Property Center methodict Chusch State Mase. Working Number 10.20.75.1845 TECHNICAL Photos Maps Barustable CONTROLe OK 10.23.75 HISTORIAN Accept E.smitk 29-15 ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN AcEPT NXMD «eatrr ARCHEOLOGISTT OTHER HAER Inventory- Review REVIEW UNIT CHIEF Accepi Cole 10.29-15 OGRANCH CHIEF National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 2-3-76 Send-back Re-submit Entered United States Department of the Interior National Park Service WASO No.

7 CCT 81 1973 IN T:2106-74 Form No. 10-301a (Pev. 10-7+) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY RECEIVED OCT 2 0 1975 DATE ENTERED 3 1 1975 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES ENCLOSE WITH PHOTOGRAPH 3 4 NAME HISTORIC Center Methodist Church AND/OR COMMON enter for the Arto LOCATION CITY. TOWN Provincetown VICINITY OF PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT Provincetown Advocate NEGATIVE FILED AT Provincetwon Historical Association IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW. DIRECTION, ETC. IF DISTRICT, GIVE BUILDING NAME & STREET south elevation COUNTY Barnstable STATE MA DATE OF PHOTO 1975 PHOTO NO 1 Loc. Barnituble county mass sutt eles lion Form No. 10-301 (Rev.

10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY MAP FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY OCT 2 0 1975 RECEIVED OCT 3 1 1976 DATE ENTERED SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES - ENCLOSE WITH MAP NAME HISTORIC AND/OR COMMON Center Methodist Church Center for the Arts 2 3 4 LOCATION CITY. TOWN Provincetown _VICINITY OF MAP REFERENCE SOURCE U.S.G.S., Provincetown, Mass. quadrangle SCALE 1:24,000 DATE 1958 REQUIREMENTS TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS 1. PROPERTY BOUNDARIES 2. NORTH ARROW 3. UTM REFERENCES COUNTYBarnstable STATE MA INT: 34 64 - 75 ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE Date Entered MASSACHUSHUS QCT 31 18/5 Name Location Center Methodist Church Zown Hall Square Ilistoric District Provincetown Barnstable County Sandwich Barnstable County Also Notified Hon. Edward M. Kennedy Ilon. Edward W.

Brooke Ion. Gerry E. Studds Røgional Director, North Atlantic Region PR MMott/je 11/10/75 State Historta Preservation Officer Mes. Elizabeth R. Amadon Executive Dizector, Massachusetts Historical Conmission 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 INT: 2950-75 NOTIFICATION OF GRANT-IN-AID ACTION 1. SIATE APPLICATION IDENTIFIER 75050496 3. GRANTOR: a. Federal agency Department of the Interior. b. Oryonizctional unit National Park Service c. Administering office - (1) Nome Division of Grants 2. (Keseroed for use by State central information reception mgenep) (2) Address- Street or P.O. Box 18th and C Streets, NW. 4. FEDERAL AGENCY GRANT IDENTIFIER: a. Code City Washington State D.C. Zip Code 20240 b. Title 25-76-00650-00 Center Methodist Church Acquisition c. Purpose The preservation objective is to purchase the 1861 Center Methodist Church and use it.

as an art museum and community center. 5. GRANTEE: a. Nome Massachusetts Mrs. Elizabeth R. Amadon, Exec. Dir., MA Historical Commission b. Address - Street or P.O. Box 40 Beacon Street Boston Massachusetts 02108 6. GRANTEE TYPE (Check only the single most applicable box) a. State b. Inter- state c. County d. City e. School district f. Special unit g. Community action h. Sponsored orgonization i. Other 7. APPLICATION RECEIPT DATE 8. ACTION DATE Year Month Day Year Month 76 3 26 76 5 Day 3 9. EFFECTIVE STARTING DATE Year Month 76 3 Doy 15 11. TYPE OF ACTION (Check as many boxes as apply to this action) a. New b. Continuation c. Supplemental d. Change in existing gront grant grant gront (identifu agency in item 16) (1) Increase in duration (2) Decrease in duration (3) Cancellation 10. ENDING DATE Year Month 79 5 Day 3 (4) Increase(S) (5) Decrease($) 12. AMOUNT OF CONTRIBUTION o.

federal - (I) basic (2) Supplemental b. State $ 5,300 $264,700* 13. CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE a. Program Number PROGRAM (if none, clarify in item 16) 15.904 14. AUTHORIZATION o. Federal Budget Accounts T10-58-1040-0-1-705 b. Public Laws -PL Title Scc. 89 665 C. U.S. Code 16 U.S.C. 470 15. FACILITY LOCATION: (For fucility grant actions only) o. City 356 Conmercial Street, Provincetown 16. REMARKS c. Locol $ d. Other $ b. Supplementol Program Number PL Title Sec. PL Title Sec. b.

County Barnstable CD 12 *Town of Provincetown Do Not Use This Space Prepared by Division of Grants 523(139)-5054 STANDARD FORM 240 June 1970 Bureau of the Budget Circular A-98 240-101 Methodist Church entered in National Register PROVINCETOWN - Center Methodist Church, 356 Commercial St., has been accepted for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, State Secretary Paul Guzzi, Chairman of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, has been informed by Gary Everhardt, Director of the National Park Service in the United States Department of the Interior. The Center church is a significant architectural landmark in Provincetown and is important for its historical and cultural contributions to the development of the community.

Built in 1861, the fourth structure to be constructed by the Methodists in Provincetown, it was used for religious purposes until 1961 when the building was sold to Walter P. Chrysler of automotive fame to house an art collection. The Museum was closed in 1974 and the former church was converted into a Center for the Arts to house various functions related to the arts but funding ran out and the property is now in the hands of the First National Bank of Cape Cod. The Methodist congregation included many members of Provincetown's artistic community and, as the second oldest church extant in the village, it was important in developing the community's image. Clearly visible from Provincetown Harbor, the Center Methodist Church was also an important visual landmark from the sea.

It was protrayed in innumerable paintings, sketches and etchings as a dominant part of the skyline of Provincetown, and the church tower was the first building that. : was visible to fishermen returning from the sea. CEitTN XNR Data Sheet DATE: 3|17/77 Reviewer TRTZANSI Geoft NR DOE Oct. 31, 1975 - NAME AS IT APPEARS IN FEDERAL REGISTER: Center Methodist Church - OTHER NANES: Center for the ArtsMA LOCATION: STREET & NUMBER 356 Commercial Stfeet CITY. TOWN STATE Provincetown VICINITY OF Massachusetts CONGRESSIUNAL DISTRICT 12th COUNTY Barnstablde 001 OWNER OF PROPERTY: (Circle) PRIVATE.) STATE LOCAL GOV'T MUNICIPAL COUNTY OTHER G.

FEDERAL (AGENCY NAME) : ADMINISTRATOR (underline) NPS REGION: (CIRCLE) H.ATLANTIC MID ATLANTIC SOUTHEAST MIDWEST SOUTHWEST ROCKY MOUNTAIN WEST PACIFIC NORTHWEST FEATURES: INTERIOR - Substantially intact-1 - unknown - 4 - not applicable - 7 CONDITION - -EXCELLENT -GOOD LTAIR EXTERIOR ENVIRONS Substantially intact-2 Smöstantially intact- _ unknown.-) _ unknown -6 - not applicable - 8 _Not applicable-9 -Interios exterior, environs MoE intactzo _DETERIORATED _UNALTERED _RUINS - AALTERED _UNEXPOSED -Reconstructed _ORIGINAL SITE _MOVED _Unkncwn _U'nexcavated -Excavated ACCESS - Yes-restricted historic district? Yes-unrestricted No access Unknown YES WITHIN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT? IF YES, NAME: YES NO ADAPTIVE USE: WITHIN NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK? IF YES, NAME: YES NO YES NO Saved ?

YES NO FUNCTION(S): (use vocabulary words) then- church now- edueatioual, ont center SIGNIFICANCE: -ARCHEULUGY-PREHISTORIC -ARCHEOLOGY.HISTORIC -AGRICULTURE ARCHITECTURE- LART + _COMMERCE -COMMUNICATIONS Claims -CONSERVATION _ECONOMICS -EDUCATION - ENGINEERING -EXPLORATION _INDUSTRY _INVENTION -LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE SRELIGION -22 _LAW/Gov't/politics -SCIENCE -LITERATURE -_MILITARY -SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN _MUSIC _PHILOSOPHY -POLITICS/GOVERNMENT -TRANSPORTATION _OTHER (SPECIFY) --entertainment -health -recreation -settlement -socio/cultural _urban & commun planning "first" YES NO "'oldest"' YES NO "only" YES NO ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: GEOREHANt Grizk Reuval twith English Baroquu elemeuts architect/m.builder: landscape/garden designer: interior decorator: engineer: artist/artisan: builder/contractor: ETHNIC GROUP: NAMES: (label role & appropriate date) personal events institutional DATES: DATE OF CONSTRUCTION (Specific date or 1/4 of century): |P6/ DATE (S) OF "MAJOR" ALTERATIONS: HISTORICALLY SICNIFICANT DATE (S) : (9let SOURCE.

(OF NOMINATION) PRIVATE STATE LOCAL GOV"T MUNICIPAL COUNTY - OTHER FEDERAL 'AGENCY: ACREAGE: (to nearest tenth of an acre) %½ rusticatea COM MENTS: (Incdude architectural saforation hero) FRAME, CLAPBOARDING, HORIZONTOL SIDING; CUF TD RESEMBLE RUSTCATIONE 2 STORIES, RECTANGULAR, GABiED ROOR, FRONT CENTER ROUND-ARCHED ENTRANCE" FLANKING, ARCHED BLIND RECESSES, SEF M 4-STAGE ENEUSH BAROQUE BELL TOWER WITH OCTAGONAL OFEN-AREN BALUSTRADED BELFRY; AND FINAL; EXTEROR AND Ariek Kevival wilh English Bavoqus EXTENSIVE INTERIOR ALTERATIONS, 1958. FINE EXAMPLE OF GEORGIAN SILE; elenunto SIGNIFICANCE:(naxinum tro sentences) A# IMPORTANT VISUAL LANDMARK FROM TIE SEA AND SÜRROUNDING COMMUNITY.