Beneficent Congregational Church
About this property
The Beneficent Congregational Church is a United Church of Christ Congregationalist church located at 300 Weybosset Street in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. The congregation was founded in 1743 during the "First Great Awakening" as a separatist spin-off from a Congregationalist group on the east side of the Providence River, and built their first sanctuary on this site. The current church was built in 1809 and was extensively remodeled in the Greek Revival style in 1836. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The current church building is a brick Greek Revival structure which features a prominent dome. The current structure – the second Meeting House on this location – was built in 1809 to plans by Barnard Eddy and John Newman, the latter of whom supervised construction. It was substantially altered in the Greek Revival style in 1836 to a design by James C. Bucklin of Tallman & Bucklin, although the basic overall configuration of the building was not changed. The Doric columns were added at this time. This work was funded with a $30,000 donation from textile entrepreneur Henry J. Steere in honor of his father, Jonah Steere. Steere also gave to the church a chandelier containing 5,673 pieces of Austrian crystal. The church bears a striking similarity in style to the Massachusetts State House in Boston, designed by Charles Bulfinch. Prior to about 2007, the church's dome was covered with gold leaf which gave it a distinctive appearance. Due to weather damage to the gold leaf, the congregation voted in 1987 to replace the roof with more durable copper sheeting as part of a larger renovation project. This copper sheeting gives the dome its current green patina. The ceiling inside the Meeting House is curved at the edges, but doesn't indicate that the building is topped by a dome. A member of the United Church of Christ (UCC) denomination, Beneficent chose to become an "Open and Affirming" congregation in 2001. The church supports local and community ministries like the Providence Gay Men's Chorus, RPM Voices, and 12-step meetings, as well as overseas ministries managed by the regional and national UCC bodies. Alexander Huntington Clapp, D.D. (served 1855–1865) Arthur Edward Wilson, D.D., L.H.D. (served 1933–1967) Nicole Grant Yonkman and Todd Grant Yonkman (served 2009–2016) National Register of Historic Places listings in Providence, Rhode Island Bicknell, Thomas Williams (1860). The History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Volume 2. New York: D. Appleton & Co.; reprint, American Historical Society, 1920. p. 603. LCCN 02018842.
Location
Categories
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.
Everything a full report reveals about Beneficent Congregational Church
This page lists Beneficent Congregational Church. 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:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Beneficent Congregational Church listed on the National Register?
Beneficent Congregational Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 13, 1972.
What type of historic resource is Beneficent Congregational Church?
Beneficent Congregational Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Beneficent Congregational Church?
The period of significance for Beneficent Congregational Church is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Beneficent Congregational Church?
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 Beneficent Congregational Church will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Providence County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Providence County.
Explore ProvidenceCounty ›More historic places in Rhode Island
Browse all historic places in Rhode Island.
View Rhode Islandhistoric sites ›Rhode Island history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
Rhode Islandhistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Beneficent Congregational Church will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.