Follen Community Church
National Register of Historic Places

Follen Community Church

Lexington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
April 29, 1976
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
76000242

About this property

Follen Church is a historic Unitarian Universalist congregation located at 755 Massachusetts Avenue in Lexington, Massachusetts, United States. The church is named for Charles Follen who was the first minister called by the church, in 1835. Follen served the congregation from 1835 to 1836 and from 1839 to 1840. Ralph Waldo Emerson was the minister of the congregation, then called the Christian Association of East Lexington, from 1836 to 1838. This was his last ministerial position. Follen Church, built in 1839, is the oldest standing church building in Lexington. The unique octagonal sanctuary was designed by its first minister, Rev. Follen however he never preached in the sanctuary. He died en route to the dedication ceremony in a wreck at sea. It was named in his honor in 1885. On April 30, 1976, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Follen Community Church. As of August 2013, Rev. Claire Feingold Thoryn has joined Follen as the church's settled minister. Beryl Aschenberg is the Director of Religious Education. Chris Eastburn is the Director of Music. National Register of Historic Places listings in Middlesex County, Massachusetts

Location

755 Massachusetts Ave.
Lexington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.42985, -71.20708

Categories

ARCHITECTURERELIGIONSOCIAL HISTORY
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

Stone Building
Industrial
0 mi
Peacock Farm Historic District
Listed
0.7 mi
House at 45 Claremont Avenue
Industrial
0.7 mi
Mason, John, House
Industrial
0.9 mi
Sanderson House and Munroe Tavern
Early Republic
0.9 mi

Nearby Battles

Lexington Green — Parker's Stand
1775Revolutionary War
1.7 mi
Battle of Lexington – Parker's Stand
1775Revolutionary War
1.8 mi
Battle of Lexington
1775Revolutionary War
1.8 mi
Battle of Lancaster (King Philip's War)
1676Colonial
2.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Follen Community Church listed on the National Register?

Follen Community Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 29, 1976.

What type of historic resource is Follen Community Church?

Follen Community Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Follen Community Church?

The period of significance for Follen Community Church is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Follen Community Church?

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