National Register of Historic Places

Society of the Congregational Church of Great Barrington

Great Barrington, Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Listed
August 19, 1992
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
92000999

About this property

The Society of the Congregational Church of Great Barrington (also known as First Congregational Church of Great Barrington) is an historic church building and parish house located at 241 and 251 Main Street in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It is the fourth church of a congregation whose first meetings were held in 1743. In 1743 the congregation was founded by Samuel Hopkins, an early proponent of the theology of New Divinity. In 1883 the current stone church building was completed after a fire destroyed most of the previous structure, which had been built of locally quarried stone in 1859. In 1883 the congregation also accepted the donation by the Hopkins family of a house to be used as a parish hall. This building, also faced in local stone, was designed by Peabody & Stearns, and was previously located across the street from the church before being moved to its present location next to the church. In the 1880s the church sponsored congregant W. E. B. Du Bois as he attended Fisk University. In 1992 the church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The church is set in the heart of downtown Great Barrington, facing west toward Main Street. The church, along with its manse and carriage house, are all built of locally quarried limestone. The church is two stories in height, with a longitudinal nave whose walls are supported by buttresses. Its roof is steeply pitched, and covered in slate. A five-story tower, 116 feet (35 m) in height, rises at the southwest corner, and is topped by a pyramidal roof with flared edges. The church was built in 1883, using parts of the previous (1859) structure, which was built from stone sourced at the same quarry, and was destroyed by fire in 1882. The church was designed by William C. Brocklesby, an architect practicing in Hartford, Connecticut. The manse and carriage barn, added in 1884, were designed by Peabody and Stearns of Boston. National Register of Historic Places listings in Berkshire County, Massachusetts

Location

241 and 251 Main St.
Great Barrington, Berkshire County, Massachusetts
42.19524, -73.36090

Categories

ARCHITECTURESOCIAL 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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Society of the Congregational Church of Great Barrington

This page lists Society of the Congregational Church of Great Barrington. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Society of the Congregational Church of Great Barrington report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Clinton African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (Additional Documentation)
Industrial
0.1 mi
Mahaiwe Block
Industrial
0.2 mi
Searles Castle
Industrial
0.3 mi
Dwight-Henderson House
Industrial
0.3 mi
US Post Office-Great Barrington Main
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Society of the Congregational Church of Great Barrington listed on the National Register?

Society of the Congregational Church of Great Barrington was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 19, 1992.

What type of historic resource is Society of the Congregational Church of Great Barrington?

Society of the Congregational Church of Great Barrington is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Society of the Congregational Church of Great Barrington?

The period of significance for Society of the Congregational Church of Great Barrington is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Society of the Congregational Church of Great Barrington?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Society of the Congregational Church of Great Barrington will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Berkshire County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Berkshire County.

Explore BerkshireCounty ›

More historic places in Massachusetts

Browse all historic places in Massachusetts.

View Massachusettshistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Massachusetts history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Massachusettshistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Society of the Congregational Church of Great Barrington will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report