View source for South Congregational Church (Newport, New Hampshire)

{{short description|Historic church in New Hampshire, United States}}
{{Infobox NRHP
| name = South Congregational Church
| nrhp_type =
| image = South Congregational Church, Newport, New Hampshire.jpg
| caption =
| location = 58 S. Main St., [[Newport, New Hampshire]]
| coordinates = {{coord|43|21|40|N|72|10|14|W|region:US_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin = New Hampshire#USA
| built = {{start date|1823}}; 1918 (parsonage)
| architect = John Leach; [[James T. Kelley (architect)|James T. Kelley]] (parsonage)
| architecture = Colonial Revival, Federal
| added = March 30, 1989
| area = {{convert|1.7|acre|ha}}
| refnum = 89000187<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref>
}}
'''South Congregational Church''' (also known as '''United Church of Christ in Newport''') is a historic [[church (building)|church]] building at 58 S. Main Street ([[New Hampshire Route 10]]) in [[Newport, New Hampshire]]. The two-story brick church was built in 1823 by the carpenter John Leach for a congregation established in 1779, and is the most northerly of a series of rural churches based on a design used by [[Elias Carter]] in the design of the [[Congregationalism in the United States|Congregational church]] in [[Templeton, Massachusetts]].<ref name=NRHP>{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=89000187}}|title=NRHP nomination for South Congregational Church|publisher=National Park Service|accessdate=2014-07-25}}</ref> The church building was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1989.<ref name="nris"/> The congregation is affiliated with the [[United Church of Christ]].
==Description and history==
The South Congregational Church is located (as its name suggests) south of the commercial and civic heart of downtown Newport, at the northeast corner of South Main and Church streets. It is a two-story brick building, with gabled roof. Its front facade is five bays wide, with a gabled entry pavilion projecting from the center three. The bays on the front and sides are articulated by brick piers, which rise to join by arches below the roof cornice. Doorways are set in the three central bays, topped by half-round [[transom window]]s. A four-stage tower rises above the entrances, each tier topped by a low balustrade with urned posts. The bottom two stages house a clock and belfry respectively, the latter with arched openings.<ref name=NRHP/> The church bell was cast in 1822 by [[Paul Revere|Paul Revere & Sons]] and weighs {{convert|1241|lb|kg}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uukennebunk.org/sites/default/files/PRBlist.html|title=Paul Revere Bell List}}</ref> The upper two stages are octagonal, and are capped by a [[cupola]].<ref name=NRHP/>
Built in 1823, the church is one of western New Hampshire's finest surviving [[Federal period]] churches. It was built two years after the similar [[Acworth Congregational Church]], a wooden church tentatively attributed to builder [[Elias Carter]]. Carter's designs are known to have been an influence on church construction in the region during the early 19th century, with numerous churches drawing inspiration from the church he built in [[Templeton, Massachusetts]].<ref name=NRHP/>
The church congregation was founded in 1779. The church's location, outside the present downtown, is the result of a long-running dispute within the town of where its civic heart should be located. The consequence of this disagreement resulted in the placement of the [[Baptist church]] at the town common (north of the present-day commercial downtown), and the placement of this church here.<ref name=NRHP/>
In 1918 the church built a parsonage on the north side of the lot. This was built with funds donated by Lizzie M. Richards and designed by [[James T. Kelley (architect)|James T. Kelley]] of [[Boston]]. Kelley had previously designed [[Richards Free Library|Richards' house]] in 1898.
==See also==
*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Sullivan County, New Hampshire]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.thesouthchurch.org/ Church website]
[[File:Congregational Church, Newport, NH.jpg|thumb|left|The church c.1910]]
{{NRHP in Sullivan County, New Hampshire}}
[[Category:United Church of Christ churches in New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Congregational churches in New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Federal architecture in New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Colonial Revival architecture in New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Churches completed in 1823]]
[[Category:19th-century United Church of Christ church buildings]]
[[Category:Churches in Sullivan County, New Hampshire]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Sullivan County, New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Newport, New Hampshire]]