National Register of Historic Places

Eliot Congregational Church

Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Listed
February 9, 1994
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
93001587

About this property

The Eliot Congregational Church is a historic Congregational church at 56 Dale Street, at the corner of Walnut Avenue in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The Walnut Avenue Congregational Church was originally established in 1870 as an offshoot of the Eliot Congregational Church, of Kenilworth Street. The original church building was designed by George F. Meacham and built in 1873 by carpenters S. M. Chesley & Company and mason Robert Culbert. The building also contained frescoes by artist William S. Brazer. This first church was planned to be used as a chapel after the construction of a main sanctuary. It is built of Roxbury puddingstone and designed in what is now referred to as the High Victorian Gothic style, though in 1873 it was described as "Decorated" Gothic, after the second style of English Gothic architecture. This main sanctuary, designed by J. Williams Beal and built by L. E. Giddings, was added in 1889. In 1907, Walnut Avenue merged with the Immanuel Congregational Church at the Walnut Avenue location, under the name Immanuel-Walnut Avenue Congregational Church. In 1908 a two-story parish house was added, now forming the church's rear wing. In 1922, facing a declining congregation, the Immanuel-Walnut Avenue church merged with its parent church, again at the Walnut Avenue location, as the Eliot Congregational Church, where it remains. In November 1929 a fire gutted the 1889 building, leaving only the tower and exterior walls standing. The church decided to use the 1873 building as its main sanctuary, rebuilding the 1889 building as a parish house and gymnasium. This work was completed in 1931. The 1873 building has a stained glass window manufactured by the studio of Louis Comfort Tiffany, which was designed by Frederick Wilson and installed in 1905. The space also includes a circa 1931 window designed by Charles Jay Connick. In Immanuel Hall, in the parish house, is another Tiffany window. This was originally installed in the Immanuel Congregational Church, and moved to its current site when the congregations merged. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. Notable past pastors include Conrad Tillard. The present pastor is an interim pastor, Rev. Andrew Kimble. National Register of Historic Places listings in southern Boston, Massachusetts

Location

56 Dale St., corner 118--120 Walnut St.
Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
42.31955, -71.08138

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Roxbury Presbyterian Church
Industrial
0 mi
Baker, Sarah J., School
Industrial
0.2 mi
Malcolm X-Ella Little Collins House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Moreland Street Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi
Roxbury High Fort
Early Republic
0.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston – Roxbury Lines
1775Revolutionary War
1.3 mi
Siege of Boston — Dorchester Heights
1776Revolutionary War
2.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Eliot Congregational Church listed on the National Register?

Eliot Congregational Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 9, 1994.

What type of historic resource is Eliot Congregational Church?

Eliot Congregational Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Eliot Congregational Church?

The period of significance for Eliot Congregational Church is recorded as the industrial era.

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