BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FUKM B- BUILUING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 Photo (3"x3" or 3"x5* , black and wite) Indicate address of property on back of photo. Staple to left side of form. 55 JAN 0 2 1990 AREA F FORM NO. 138 Town Swansea, Mass. MRA SWANSEA Address Historic Name Gardner's Neck Road South Swansea Union Church Use: Present Original DESCRIPTION Date Source Style Architect religious religious 1916 Church records Shingle unknown Exterior Wall Fabric wood shingle Outbuildings parish house (ca. 1960s) 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) Major Alterations (with dates) none Condition Moved no Acreage Setting good Date - less than one acre suburban houses on fairly regular rectangular lots UTM REFERENCE 19 316880 4621270 USES QUADRANGLE Fall River, MA-RI 1967/1979 SCALE 1:25000 Recorded by Kay Flynn/K. K. Broomer Organization Swansea Historical Commissio Date March 1988/October 1989 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The South Swansea Union Church retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association and is significant on the local level. The church meets Criterion A as a product of the rapidly expanding suburban population on Gardner's Neck in the early 20th century, and Criterion C as a well-preserved ecclesiastical structure in the Shingle Style.
For its architectural significance in Swansea, the church also meets Criteria Consideration A. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community. South Swansea Union Church is architecturally significant as the best example of a Shingle Style church in Swansea. One and one-half stories on a raised rubblestone foundation, the church is a gabled rectangular structure with characteristic wood shingle cladding. A prominent facade cross-gable includes four lancet windows on the first floor and a wheel window above. Similar arrangements of lancet and wheel windows grace the end-gable elevations of the main block. The offset entrance is marked by a square tower rising to a belvedere with tent roof. Other architectural features includes overhanging eaves, exposed rafters, and drip moulds over windows and doors.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. The formation of the South Swansea Union Church is rooted in the organization of the South Swansea Sunday School about 1910. In the early decades of the 20th century the population of Gardner's Neck (South Swansea) rapidly increased, as the formerly rural area was transformed by suburban development. The Sunday school provided for area children of varied circumstances who were unable to attend the other Sunday schoolss of the town. Schoo1 membership swelled from 16 to 96 children in just one year, and meeting places included private homes and even a tent at Ocean Grove. In Öctober 1914 the school was incorporated with the objective of buying land and building a chapel.
Meanwhile, the Ladies Aid Society was formed November 17, 1914 to assist in running the Sunday school. Sunday evening services began in private homes on the Neck in August 1915. In November of that year, the South Swansea Sunday School Corporation purchased land from Edwin Gardner for the chapel. The building committee consisted of members of the Sunday school corporation: Charles A. Chace, Edward Goss, Mr. and Mrs. Chester R. Gardner, and Mrs. Sidney K. Crittenden. The cornerstone for the church was laid May 6, 1916 and the building was dedicated the following September. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES 50th Anniversary of the South Swansea Church, 1914-1964, booklet printed by the Church. Pierce, Helen, ed. Swansea Tercentenary 1667-1967. Swansea, MA, 1967. Wright, Otis. History of Swansea 1667-1917. Swansea, MA, 1917.
8/85 NN o 10800g United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 1/2/90 Section number- Page_ Swansea MRA Bwistol County, MASSACHUSETTS antered in the 21. Luther, William, House Nat1apal Reglater 221 Norton House Entered 1n the Hatlonad Register Date Listed Ixeopor AebausBapus 2/10/100 Attest Keeper Ailanesgun 2/10/90 Attest 23. Short's Tavern Entered in the National Registes /Keeper AulauBgun 2/10194 124. Simcock House Entered in the Nattonal Begiates 25. Smuggler's House Entered in the Batlonal Registes Attest Reeper Attest Veeper Attest AeluaByer 2/1640 SelrrBgan 210156 26. South Swansea Union Church/ Entered in the National Register _Keeper Selmumpyar 316/40 Attest 27. Swansea Willage Historic Distsifdred 1a the Natlonal Register Keeper Aeluu Bjus 2/10/50 28. Walkden Farm 29.
Mason, William P., House Attest Entered in the Mational Registes fusceper AeleuByar 2/1040 Attest iahsteindere Homle Orkeeper. Bitt Savage 7/90 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY South Swansea Union Church NAME: MULTIPLE Swansea MRA NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Bristol DATE RECEIVED: 1/02/90 DATE OF 16TH DAY: 2/01/90 DATE OF PENDING LIST: DATE OF 45TH DAY: 1/18/90 2/16/90 DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: REFERENCE NUMBER: 90000055 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: PEDUBET: SANEIEROBLEM W BEA ORAPE: R AREOMA UMAPPOVED: # REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: N COMMENT WAIVER: N LACCEPT _RETURN REJECT 2/16/90 OATE Intered in the Hational 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 photographs presentation OTHER COMMENTS Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date South swansea Union Church (MHC#P138) Gardner's Neck Road at Church Street Swansea, Mass.
MRA 1988 VIRWNW MAR 1 Sauth Swansea Unian Cnuch Gardnes's Neck Road SWANSEA, MA 1988 FAIRH. 53.2 CHURCH 68.9° 75 193' 23 186- "OPOSED To 120' 22 70- 192.79 117 .9 165' COTTON '80' 109 21 66.g- 2 404 75' 20 19 90. 18 KEY 49 #=church -=parishhouse 281.2' 24 + 275. STREET 30' 139.6' 17 16 131.9° 17 136.2' 118 174 COURT 150' 108 25 4 26 '80' 4os 180' 504 22.0. 30g 182.1' 119 178.8' (PRIVATE) 'So. 107 iN 82 402 2 130.2' 204 103 RAYMOND .LARD 15 3= 203 >5 ALLARD 95 25 959 103 104 153' ROAD 202 '50° 94 150' 102 300 141 300 158.4 302 106 141.6 158.47 105 141.6' 2or (PUBLIC) 160 15 101.4' 143.2' 101 ROAD 70.9° 120 in 156.25 140 40, 114.1' 101.4' NECK ROAD 115.4 291 166.4 115.4 30 30, 2 176.5' 101.4' GARDNER'S 15, RANDALL SHEA DRIVE 250.9 31 90- (3) 115. DRIVE 294 M- 183.
WING PEDI 13,1 MAC*f-138 South /1961 REVISET 10/82 PROPERTY MAP TOWN OF SWANSEA Swansea Unian BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS Church Sardner's Neck RadJAMES W. SEWALL COMPANY OLD TOWN, MAINE SCALE 1 INCH = 100 FEET FOIL AASCBSING PURPOSES ONLY 46 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000296