BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING AUG 0 7 1989 1374 AREA FORM NO. MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 Town Address QC-252 Quincy, MA / MRA 8 Spear Street Historic Name Bethany Congregational Church 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 SEE ATTACHED MAP Use: Present church Original church DESCRIPTION Date 1927 Source Quincy Patriot Ledger, Feb. 1, 1964 style _ Gothic Revival Architect J.
William Beal and Sons Exterior wall Fabric granite Outbuildings none MajorAlteration (with dates) None Condition Good Moved no Date Acreage Less than one acre: 33,962 sq.f Setting The Church is located across the street from the Thomas Crane Library (NR) and adjacent to the Coddington School. UIM REFERENCE 19/334,920 E/ 4,679,440 N USGS QUADRANGLE Boston South, MA SCALE 1: 25,000 Recorded by Fannin and Lenner/ J. Johnson Organization Quincy Historical Commission Date June 8, 1986 / May 1987 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The Bethany Congregational Church is Quincy's most elaborate example of 20th century Gothic Revival architecture. Associated with a Boston architect active in Quincy during this period, the church retains integrity of design, materials, location, setting, feeling, workmanship, and association.
The church fulfills Criterion C and exception A of the National Register of Historic Places on the local level. ARCHITECIURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community. SEE INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the conmunity. SEE INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Assessors Records. H. Hobart Holly, ed. Quincy: 350 Years, 1974. Quincy Patriot Ledger, April 4, 1932; September 24,1953; February 1,1964. 150th Anniversary pamphlet, 1982. 75th Anniversary pamphlet, 1907. 125th Anniversary pamphlet, 1957.
'INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commmity : QUINCY, MA Form No: QC-252 Property Nane : Bethany Congregahonal Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. Churek HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE -- 8 SPEAR STREET BETHANY CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Bethany Congregational Church (1927), in its present edifice at 8 Spear Street, is actually in its third home. The first meetings of the Evangelical Congregational Church took place in Quincy in 1832. The original group of twenty-one men and women were previously members of Quincy's Episcopal Church, the "Church of England in Braintree," (now Christ Church). They originally met in a hall over the post office. congregation built the Hancock Meetinghouse at Hancock and Canal Streets.
In 1870, the "packard lot" was purchased by the church and a new building erected on the site of the present South Shore Bank on Hancock Street (1929, In 1834, the #QC-171). In 1896. the present Bethany Congregational Church was incorporated combining the functions before exercised the eunt by the Evangelical Congregational Society and the Evangelical Congregational Church. The congregation grew too large for its 1870 structure, and in the 1920s. the church was torn down and the land sold to the Granite Trust Company for their bank. In turn the site on Coddington Street and Spear Streets was provided by the bank for construction of a new church. The present edifice was built in 1927.
Staple to Inventory form at bottom INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commmity: QUINCY Form No: QC-252 Property Name: Bethany Congregational churon Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE - - 8 SPEAR STREET BETHANY CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Bethany Congregational Church, prominently located adjacent to the Thomas Crane Libray (NR) and the Coddington School (1909, #QC-198) is the most elaborate twentieth century Gothic Revival style church in Quincy. The most striking element in the building's compostion is the tall square tower, high in the Quincy skyline, which dominates the area.
Stylistically, the tower evokes the Perpindicular Gothic period with its tripartite rectangular windows under a pinacled parapet with corners articulated by buttresses and picturesque gargoyles. The church's gabled facade is embellished with a beautiful Tudor arched opening filled with five cusped lancet windows within a limestone enframement and an impressive entrance set under a splayed multiple lancet arch and projecting gabled porch. Decorative details include the finial atop the entrance, the pinacles over the entry porch, and the stepped buttresses. The buidling's architects were the Boston firm, of J. Williams Beal Sons who had proven their versatility in the Quincy buidlings they had previously designed: the Tudor Revival Adams Building (1880-1885, NR) . the Colonial Revival Elks Building (1924, QC-155), and the Neoclassical Masonic Temple (1926, #QC-152).
The firm would proceed to design the Art Deco Granite Trust Company Bank (1929; #QC-171). Staple to Inventory form at bottom NPS Form 10-800-s (8-06) United States Department of the Interior National ParkService National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 AUG T 1989 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Quincy MRA Norfolk County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review Cover Bubatastive devion 1. Alden, Arthur, House Entered in the Mational Register 2. Brainbridge, Randolph, House Entered in the Eational Hegister 3. Barker, George A., Housentered in the National Register 4. Barker, Henry F., HouseEntered in the atlonad Registen 5. Barnes House Entered in the AatLonal Regiater 6. Barnicoat, S.H., Monuments..ea in tbe atelunan deglaças 7. Bateman, William R., Houseered in the NatLonal Begister 8.
Baxter Street Historic Distriet Subatantiva Revlew 9. Bethany Congregational Church Entered in the ABtlonad Begistes 10.
Brown--Hodgkinson House Sntered 1n tha -td 37 fo Keeper Jakeeped Date/Signature BitK Savage 9-20-89 TlelByan 9-20-59 Attest fReeper Aulreßyu 9-20-59 Attest / Keeper ( Aeluespyun 1-2079 Attest /Keeper Lulmu/yun 9-7e+9 Attest Keeper AllruByun 9-20+9 Attest Keeper Ahlrefgu 9/20/89 Attest Almußzun 2/=/19 Attest for Keaper Betty Saunge 9-20-0 Attest Keeper AilmerByu 2/20/09 Attest /Keeper Attest dleloussyu 9/20/89 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Bethany Congregational Church NAME: MULTIPLE Quincy MRA NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Norfolk DATE RECEIVED: DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: 8/07/89 9/07/89 DATE OF PENDING LIST: 8/22/89 DATE OF 45TH DAY: 9/21/89 REFERENCE NUMBER: 89001374 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 V ACCEPT RETURN REJECT 9/20/89 DATE Entered in the Bational Register 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 context 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 _photographspresentation OTHER COMMENTS Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date nl Churck 8 Speare Street Bethany Congretional Churck at: Planning Dept.
-Quincy by: Julie Johnson date: July 1987 View: North PICt : GC-252 Quinky, Mass. 8 Spear St. yueja Bethany Congretional Churck at: Pranning Dept.- Quincy by: Julie Johnson dute: July ,987 view; East Pict # QC-252 Quinay, Mass, WOODWARD AVE. "3,1," Plot 15 15785 Plot 14 8312 Max D.Stein Tiee. CoddingtonBurlding Trust Gusteflarss AVE. F D. E PLAN 1130 CODDINGTON omwgm 1280 avosid Plorsa 3536 Aet 12 33962 Bethany CongregationalChurch ureforena ctun FRÄNCIS 43 SPEAR SEE P Address_18 Spear Street Bethany Congregational Church QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS / MRA Assessors Map # - 1131 1979 Scale: 1 inch equals 80 feet Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000289