BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
MAY 1 5 1990 FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 RoUl # 2=4 Photo (3"x3" or 3"x5", black and white) Indicate address of property on back of photo. Staple to left side of form. Sketch Map: Draw map showing property's location in relation to nearest cross streets and/or geographical features. Indicate all buildings between inventoried property and nearest intersection(s). Indicate north UTM REFERENCE 18/745 300/466/ 930 USGS QUADRANGLE Southbridge,Mass-Conn SCALE 1:25,000 59| SOUTHBRIDGE MASS MRA AREA C FORM NO.
303 Town Southbridge Address 6l ELM St Historic Name Congregational Church Use: Present church Original church DESCRIPTION Date 1885 Source local history Style Victorian Gothic Architect unknown Exterior Wall Fabric brick Outbuildings none Major Alterations (with dates) steeple demolished in hurricane (1938), 1 story rear addition (ca. mid-20th c.) Condition Excellent Moved no Date Ma Acreage less than one acre Setting civic, institutional commercial are: Recorded by E. Woodford, S. Ceccacci ed. S. Ceccacci Organization _Southbridge Historical Com- mission Date May 1986 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The Congregational Church is significant for its association with the expansion and development of Southbridge's commercial and institutional center late in the 19th century, and for its impressive brick High Victorian Gothic design.
It meets National Register criteria A and C at the local level and retains integrity of setting, location, materials, workmanship, design, feeling, and association. The boundaries indicated on the attached . assessors map are those of current ownership. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community. This Victorian Gothic church, although somewhat altered by the 1938 destruction of its tall slim steeple, still retains the irregular silhouette and complex massing typical of its style.
Less vertical in appearance than it originally was, the building still retains its characteris- tic high pitched roofs, pinnacle ornaments, ornamental brickwork and tall stained glass windows Unusual in its plan, the church has its main entrance in the transept rather than on the portion of the facade which is closest to the street. The only truly Victorian Gothic style church in Southbridge, it is much more complex in its design than the 1869 Evangelical Free Church (form #A-115) which contains some Victorian Gothic elements but is less vertical and more symmetrical.
Because of the compatibility of the style and materials of the Congregational Church with that of the Iown Hall (form #C-302) and the Samuel Hartwel1 House (form #C-304) on either side of it and with the nearby Elm Street Fire House (form #D-401), it is an integral part of the architectural setting of the symbolic heart of the community. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. In 1816, when Southbridge was incorporated, the Congregationalists became the first group to break away from the interdenominational meeting house of the poll parish. "The Ministerial House" built on the site of the Dr. Samuel Hartwell House, on the southeast corner of Elm and Park Streets, was built in 1818 to serve as a parsonage for the church and as a hall of worship until a meeting house could be erected.
It was built by Calvin Ammidown and deeded to the church. In 1822 a meeting house was built on the site of the present building on Elm Street. After a storm in 1884 sent the steeple crashing through the roof, it was decided to build a new church. The old building was moved down E1m Street, where it later burned. The new church, built and furnished at a cost of $17,500, was dedicated September 4, 1885. The tower of the present building was destroyed in the 1938 hurricane and never rebuilt. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Satthbridop: Quinebaug Historieal Society Leaflets, Vol. 3, #7 & Vol. 1, #2, p. 16 8/85 NPS Form 10-900-8 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page OMB Approval No.
10240018 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Southbridge MRA Worcester County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 21. Comins--Wall House Substagtixa Beview 22. Congregational Church 23. Cummings, E.B., House Entered in tuc Mational Register Enterei in the National Register 24. Dani and Soldani Cabinet Makers and Wood Workers Factory Entered in tbe National Reglstor 25. Dennison School House Entered in the Mational Register 26. Dresser, Sylvester, House Entered in the Matlonal Register 27. Dunbar--Vinton House Entered ia the National Register 28. Durfee, Henry E., Farmhousentered in the National Register 29. Elm Street Fire House Entered 1n the National Register 30.
Evangelical Free Church Entered in the National Register Date/Signature Jor Keeper Besn ange 6-2289 Attest fKeeper/ 6paps Attest Ixeoper asllneByu 6/2/44 Attest Keeper AhbnByen 0/27/84 Attest tkeeper Shlabyen 6/22/9 Attest Freoper allrueByen 6/2/64 Attest Freeper dlneBgun 6/2214 Attest /Keeper delBzus/2/19 Attest Keeper KlelreBgu 4/s/19 Attest /Keeper Selmßzen /22/6 Attest NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY NAME: Congregational Church MULTIPLE Southbridge MRA NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, worcester DATE RECEIVED: DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: 5/15/89 6/16/89 DATE OF PENDING LIST: 5/31/89 DATE OF 45TH DAY: 6/29/89 REFERENCE NUMBER: 89000591 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: OTHER: N PDIL: N PERIOD: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N N N COMMENT WAIVER: N VACCEPI RETURN REJECT 6/22/89 DATE Entered in the National Registar ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: RECOM./CRITERIA REVIEWER DISCIPLINE DATE DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR Y/N CLASSIFICATION count resource type STATE/FEDERAL AGENCY CERTIFICATION FUNCTION historic current DESCRIPTION architectural classification materials descriptive text SIGNIFICANCE Period Areas of Significance--Check and justify below Specific dates Builder/Architect Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource relationship of integrity to significance justification of exception other BIBLIOGRAPHY GEOGRAPHICAL DATA acreage UTMS verbal boundary description _boundary justification ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION/PRESENTATION _sketch maps USGS maps _photographs OTHER COMMENTS Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone _presentation Signed Date congregational church, C-303)61 Elmst.
Southbridge, MA MN south briage tistorical society Roll #2.9 EemStreet, congregatzonal church 35 205 STREET BA GB 172 '212 179 15! orr'iso GB 200 C-303 48 CHAPIN HI 142 143 144 MRA SOUTHBRIDGE MASS OUTHE 36 46 2F 55 MASS 46 47 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000294