BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
80000599 FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston - - In Area no. Form no. 130-C Worcester - 1. Town 5 Chestnut Street Address Name Former Union Congregational Churc 2. Photo (3x3" or 3x5") Staple to left side of form Photo number - - Present use Chestnut Street Congregational Church Present owner Chestnut Street Congregational Churcn of 3. Description: Worcester 5 Chestnut Street Date 1895-1897 Source_Nutt, C. History of Worc. Gothic Revival Style 4. Map. Draw sketch of building location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings. Indicate north.
Architect Earle " Fisher Exterior wall fabric sandsfonedtfranite Outbuildings (describe)_ chapel Other features paired towers with gargoyles, pointed arch windows, ros ' windows, crenellations, buttresses copper-ciad Altered spire removed Date : 1954 Moved no Date Assessors' Book 3, p. 30 19/268630/468Z720. Lot size Lota 53 d 7 61,017sg. It. x One acre or less Over one acre 187' Approximate frontage Approximate distance of building from street DO NOT WRITE IN THIS SPACE USGS Quadrant 6. Recorded by Organization MHC Photo no. D. Latino ed. B.R. Pfeiffer Worc. Heritage Pres. Soc. revised March 1979 Date (over) 5M-2-75-R061465 (20M-2476) - 7. Original owner (if known) Original use_ Union Congregational Church Church, chapel and parish house same Subsequent uses (if any) and dates 8.
Themes (check as many as applicable) Aboriginal Agricultural Architectural The Arts Commerce Communication Community development Conservation Education Exploration/ settlement Industry Military Political Recreation Religion Science/ invention Social/ humanitarian Transportation 9. Historical significance (include explanation of themes checked above) Designed by Stephen Earle and Clellan Fisher, the Union (now Chestnut Street) Congregational Church is a major local example of Gothic Revival architecture Reminiscent on a smaller acale of Notre Dame de Paris, the church's major facade is flanked by two matching towers which rise to open landings formed by paired pointed arches with crenellated papapets and gargoyles above. Set between the towers are an entry porch made up of three trefoil arches !
at the ground level, above which are a large rose window and an open arcade of trefoil arches which connects the two towers. steeply pitched roof of the church hall; until 1954 an ornate copper-clad spire - (derived from those of Notre Dame de Paris and Sainte Chapelle in Paris) rose to a height of 180' over the crossing of the church's nave and transept. Immediately south of the church is the Moen Chapel and parish house, both of which are original to the 1095 design. The parish house is largely concealed by the Moen Chapel, which is a one-story structure oi irregular plan with a hipped roof and an octagonal turret at its southeast corner. Although smaller in scale than the church, the Moen Chapel shares the same decorative elements of pointed arch windows, trefoil lights, buttresses and an entry porch formed by a trefoil arch.
With the exception of the removal of its spire, the Union Church (including its chapel and parish house) is superbly preserved, retaining abundant stained glass and carved stone ornament. Located on a rise at the head of Pearl Street, the Union Church is visible from Main Street and serves as an imposing landmark. (cont.) 10. Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) Worcester Historical Society. Pamphlet and Church files. American Architectural and Building News, vol. 50 p. 107, pl. 1148, 12/25/1897 (photo.) Engineering Recora, vo1. XXXII, July 13, 1095, p- ix; Aug- 3, 1095, p- ix (building notices) Nutt, C. History of Worcester, vol. II, PP.
807-011 (phto.) - * MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston worcester 130-C Property Name : Union Congregation Church Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. 9. The Union Congregaional Church was formed in 1835 by members of the First Congregational Church of Worcester and the Second (Calvinist) Church of Worcester. In 1836, & meeting-house was built on Front Street at the corner of (modern) Commercial Street. The Front Street meetinghouse was enlarged in 1845 and again in 1861 to accommodate the growing congregation. By 1879, it was considered that "the houses (of worship) of the Plymouth and Piedmont Churches made it, by comparison, unattractive;" the meeting-house was demolished and a new one built on its site. In 1894 a committee was established to consider sites for a new church.
In February 1895, the site of the present building (formerly the Kinnicutt Estate) was purchased and ground broken for the new building in July, 1895. The Church's cornerstone was set in February 1896; the Moen Chapel, a gift in memory of Philip Louis Moen, completed in September 1896; and the main hall of the church completed in February 1897. While the church was under con- struation, the Salem Street Church merged with the Union Church. In 1936 the Union Church merged with the Piedmont and Plymouth Churches to become the Chestnut Street Congregational Church. In 1941 stained glass windows were removed from the Plymouth Church, re-cut and fitted to varous windows in the Chestnut Street building. In 1948 the building received a new slate roof, was repointed and had some interior decoration carried out.
Staple to Inventory form at bottom - Property Warcester Mltple Resamre Ava (Partial Laventan) State MA (Warcester working Number8. 30.79.2069 TECHNICAL CONTROL Photos 383 +13 Maps 2,63 Exceetent multyle resource nomeratinn for the entire cely HISTORIAN of Worceofe. Both the general descrgtion a spaterent if signdcane " the endwidual inventony sheet are ael/Acapt dow. Cach te Lightre 10-30-79 pustesud, a reasons au bthesa at this time (1.g.3.deckea) OdeoneARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAT apposction is lih. Wins problems vah some propertus are lited on aclached sheets. cman u/h Bmiés umments m 102-4-3 "G-CBD -", "]-E, and 130 -CBD-50 and t4. Intgnty and/" bomdaries nucd to' be cdbleseed speatiually on endurdual ARCHEOLOGIST II6-CBD- 17 - Destroyed, connot be listed.
130 - CBD- 44 - 1 am nst cenuinced thes has lost integniti 102- L-3 - Peulod 5 .See attacher be sinificonee and cotegerzatem n lbeep need to descussed with StRte WINh 3 EXCERTONS AU PROPERTTES APPEAN TO ME TO MEET AK CRITERI AND THE OTHER FORUS ARE ADEQUATE. REO BOTH TECHNICALLY ANO TO DETERMINE SIÇNIFCANCE, ALMOUH SAULE EE TEFORMS DID NOT CONTAN SIRONE STATEMENS OF SIGNIFICANKE THE KESOURCE CATEDONIES WERE TOROUGHLY DISCUSTED IN THE BODY OF THE NORINAXION; 2/2888 TUEREFORE SNGNIFICANKE MAS ESTABLSHED. VBDS WERE NOT NELESSARY BELNSE OF MYE SCHE MAPSAND CLENNLY DELNEATES BOUNDANIES. HURENDE WES ALISSIN4 HAER TIU SAE PROPEATES DUT EIS MOW INCLIDED AFTEN TE 2/11/ CORRELTONS. THE ONLY PROPERTIES THSE I DO NOT RECOMMENA LISTING ARE Inventory - - 116-CBD-13 - DESNOYEOBYFRE MO - 1 CBD-!! Review 130-CBD- 44 - POCS.
NOT RETSUN INTEGRITYFOR INDIVDUKBEUGIBILITY 002KA MBOT CONVINLED ABOUT BOUNDANLES REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BUT BELLEVE TUEY DOUCA BE OK. W BASED Recommenl ON ADDLTONA DOCUMLENTATON SUBMUTTED - / DEFER JUDLEMENT. Listine all propertien nescept these 3. Retum 116-Cstf to Stute noteligible) o to derouss futla " +State. DUBIE fetum 102 - L-3 to State fer curedem; 315 8 BRANCH CHIEF 3/3/81 HOLD 130-CBD -44 for info from state DOBLE Staff conferenu 3/5/0 - agred to action as sated belor: KEEPER Salahe 3/5/80 MAR 5 1980 returiy 116- National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 2.3.8) - - Send-back . Re-submit ./3/80 REPORT United States Department of the Interior - Heritaqe Conservation and Recreation Service MAY 30 AUG 1979 Vncs Giagregatanal church 10-C werrestMAAMa 5 Chestnut St.
Soulhreast elevations AUG 1979 Uniin Cengregttienal Chusch 130-CRAMa wartester 5 Chestrut St East elevatron Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000304