MassachusettsThe First Congregational Church of Blandford, known as the 'Old White Church,' stands atop a hill overlooking the town center. Built in 1822, it is a well-preserved Federal-style New England meetinghouse, a two-story, five-by-five-bay structure with a three-bay pedimented porch, Doric pilasters, round-arched fanlit entrances, and a three-stage steeple close to the front. It was designed by Captain Isaac Damon (1791-1862), a prominent Federal-period builder/architect who worked primarily in the Connecticut River Valley and built at least thirteen meetinghouses; its tripartite steeple and pedimented porch are characteristic of his work. Renovated in 1866 without substantial exterior alteration, the church is significant as a distinctive example of Damon's work and as a focal point in the development of Blandford Center, meeting National Register Criteria A, B, and C.
First Congregational Church of Blandford
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First Congregational Church of Blandford is a landmark in Blandford, Hampden County. It is one of 3,654 landmarks documented in Hampden County, among 3,815 historic sites cataloged across the county on MassRoam.
The site sits at 42.1820, -72.9289 near Blandford. The nearest cataloged historic site is Our Lady of the Rosary Roman Catholic Church (landmark), about 3.6 miles away. Others within a short drive include Tinker, Bessie House, Bronson, Sheldon House, and House at 34 Main St.
This record is drawn from public historical records. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
The First Congregational Church of Blandford, known locally as the White Church, stands at 4 North Street in the center of Blandford and was built in 1822 by regional builder Isaac Damon, working from designs he had seen by Charles Bulfinch and Asher Benjamin. It is a prominent Federal-style church, its five-bay clapboarded facade crowned by a multistage tower with an octagonal belfry. The pulpit was originally set near the door so that latecomers would be noticed, an arrangement later reversed. Restored and acquired by the Blandford Historical Society in the 1990s, it now serves as an event venue and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
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