Congregational Church of Chelsea

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Congregational Church of Chelsea
Congregational Church of Chelsea.jpg
Front of the church
Congregational Church of Chelsea is located in Vermont
Congregational Church of Chelsea
LocationChelsea Green, Chelsea, Vermont
Coordinates43°59′19″N 72°26′48″W / 43.98861°N 72.44667°W / 43.98861; -72.44667Coordinates: 43°59′19″N 72°26′48″W / 43.98861°N 72.44667°W / 43.98861; -72.44667
Arealess than one acre
Built1811 (1811)
ArchitectAsher Benjamin
Architectural styleGreek Revival
Part ofChelsea Village Historic District (ID83003212)
NRHP reference No.76000140[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPSeptember 03, 1976
Designated CPSeptember 29, 1983

The United Church of Chelsea, previously the Congregational Church of Chelsea, is a historic church on Chelsea Green in Chelsea, Vermont. Built 1811–1813 with later stylistic additions, it is a fine example of Federal period architecture with Greek Revival alterations. Originally built for a Congregationalist group, it now serves as a union church, affiliated with the United Church of Christ. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.[1]

Description and history[]

The United Church of Chelsea stands in the center of Chelsea Village, at the eastern end of its northern green. It is a two-story wood-frame structure, with a gabled roof, clapboarded exterior, and granite foundation. The main facade is five bays wide, with the center bays in shallow projecting section topped by a lower gable. Building corners are pilastered, rising to a broad entablature. A multistage tower rises, straddling the projection and main roofline, with a square first stage surmounted by a low balustrade, an octagonal belfry with louvered openings on four sides, and a smaller octagonal section capped by a bellcast roof and weathervane. The interior was originally built with a three-sided gallery, but this was enclosed to make a full second story in the 1840s as part of a major restyling.[2]

Built in 1811–1813 as the Chelsea Congregational Church, it has since then been a high-profile fixture in Chelsea's village. Its design is derived from plates in Asher Benjamin's , with major Greek Revival additions occurring in 1848. The Congregationalists merged with the local Methodist congregation in 1929 to form the United Church, which continues to use the building today.[2]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ a b Jane A. McLuckie; John R. Axtell (1976). "NRHP nomination for Congregational Church of Chelsea". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-08-13. with photos from 1976

External links[]

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