MassachusettsThe First Congregational Church of East Longmeadow (historically the Meeting House of the Third Religious Society of Longmeadow) at 7 Somers Road is a Classical Revival church erected in 1828, a simple 45-by-55-foot rectangle with a ridge roof whose gable faces Center Square. Its facade is dominated by a smaller Ionic temple front projecting from the body of the church, with four pilasters, an entablature with dentilated cornice and pediment, above which rise a square bell tower with round-arched windows and an octagonal cupola with a small domed top. Built by the 'Proprietors of the Meeting House of the Third Religious Society' (financed through a share corporation), it was purchased by the congregation and moved 750 feet north to its present site in 1858. It is significant as the oldest church and church building in East Longmeadow, notable for its unusual financing and its role in town affairs, having hosted town meetings until 1882; it was listed for architecture, religion, and government.
First Congregational Church of East Longmeadow
The places that make Massachusetts, Massachusetts.
First Congregational Church of East Longmeadow is a landmark in East Longmeadow, 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 42.0641, -72.5122 near East Longmeadow. The nearest cataloged historic site is Greenlawn Cemetery (cemetery), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Norcross, James Franklin House, Burt, Elijah House, and Swetland - Pease House.
This record is drawn from public historical records. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
The congregation organized in 1827 and raised its meeting house the following year, originally further up Somers Road. In 1859 the building was moved to the triangular lot beside what is now the town's central rotary and remodelled with detailing in the manner of Charles Bulfinch. The three-bay projecting entry once had a door in every bay; the outer two are windows now, and the tower steps from a square stage to an octagonal belfry and a cupola. East Longmeadow held its town meetings here until the town hall was finished in 1882. It is the oldest church building in town, home to its oldest congregation, and was listed on the National Register in 1978.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Get MassRoam — 82,000+ historic sites in your pocket
See this site and every marker, cemetery, courthouse, museum, battlefield and landmark across Massachusetts on one live map — find what's near you, get directions, and collect sites as you roam.
