National Register of Historic Places

Union Church

Portsmouth, Newport County, Rhode Island
Listed
June 12, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
74000045

About this property

The Union Church is an historic church and local history museum owned by the Portsmouth Historical Society at 870 East Main Road at Union Street in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. One exhibit room is dedicated to Julia Ward Howe and includes a collection of furniture from her summer home in Portsmouth and a display about her life. The Union Church building was constructed in 1865 at the cost of $7,000 for the congregation of the Portsmouth Christian Union Church, which was founded in 1810 and originally met in homes and then a smaller meeting house. The congregation was active until after World War I. The last worship service was held in 1937 and then it was declared a defunct organization by the Superior Court in 1940 with the fourteen remaining members voting to donate the property to the Portsmouth Historical Society. It now houses the majority of the historical society's collections. The former church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Adjacent to the church is a 1725 schoolhouse building. The Society opens the museum buildings weekly. National Register of Historic Places listings in Newport County, Rhode Island

Location

Portsmouth, Newport County, Rhode Island
41.55857, -71.25557

Categories

MILITARYARCHITECTURERELIGION
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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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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The Community
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Notable People
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Finds & Access
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Nearby Historic Sites

Lawton-Almy-Hall Farm
Industrial
1 mi
Oak Glen
Civil War
1.3 mi
Greenvale Farm
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1.8 mi
Murphy, Dennis J., House at Ogden Farm
Industrial
2.5 mi
Bailey Farm
Industrial
2.7 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Rhode Island
1778Revolutionary War
1.2 mi
Battle of Rhode Island (1778)
1778Revolutionary War
3 mi
Battle of Rhode Island – Black Regiment Action
1778Revolutionary War
3.5 mi
Raid on Prudence Island (1775)
1775Revolutionary War
5.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Union Church listed on the National Register?

Union Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 12, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Union Church?

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

What is the period of significance for Union Church?

The period of significance for Union Church is recorded as the civil_war era.

Can I research the history near Union Church?

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