Central Congregational Church (Fall River, Massachusetts)

Last updated
Central Congregational Church
Central cong Fall River.jpg
USA Massachusetts location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location Fall River, Massachusetts
Coordinates 41°42′10″N71°9′14″W / 41.70278°N 71.15389°W / 41.70278; -71.15389 Coordinates: 41°42′10″N71°9′14″W / 41.70278°N 71.15389°W / 41.70278; -71.15389
Built1875
Architect Hartwell & Swasey
Architectural styleOther
MPS Fall River MRA
NRHP reference # 83000646 [1]
Added to NRHPFebruary 16, 1983

Central Congregational Church is an historic church at 100 Rock Street in Fall River, Massachusetts.

Fall River, Massachusetts City in Massachusetts, United States

Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River is located approximately 53 miles (85 km) south of Boston, 17 miles (27 km) southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, 20 miles (32 km) south of Taunton, 12 miles (19 km) west of New Bedford, 20 miles (32 km) north of Newport, Rhode Island, and 200 miles (320 km) northeast of New York City. The City of Fall River's population was 87,103 at the 2010 census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state.

Contents

History

The church was built in 1875 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. [2] It was designed by Boston architects Hartwell & Swasey, who also designed several other notable buildings in Fall River, including the Academy Building and several city fire stations. It was well known in its early days for being the home church of Lizzie Borden and her family.

Hartwell & Swasey

Hartwell & Swasey was a short-lived, 19th-century architectural firm in Boston, Massachusetts. The partnership between Henry Walker Hartwell (1833-1919) and Albert E. Swasey, Jr. lasted from the late-1860s to 1877, when Swasey went on his own. In 1881, Hartwell formed a partnership with William Cummings Richardson – Hartwell and Richardson – that lasted until his death.

Academy Building (Fall River, Massachusetts)

Academy Building is a historic building on South Main Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. The building was constructed in 1875 as a memorial to Nathaniel Briggs Borden by his family. It opened its doors on January 6, 1876. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Lizzie Borden murder trial defendant

Lizzie Andrew Borden was an American woman who garnered notoriety as the main suspect in the August 4, 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts. Borden was tried and acquitted of the murders.

In the 1990s and 2000s, the church and abbey were renovated into the International Culinary Academy, with the Abbey Grille and classrooms in the abbey and a large function hall in the main church. The Academy and restaurant closed in March 2009.

In 2019 the church became a venue for events. Weddings and other large events. It is now called The Historic Abbey at 100 Rock Street.

The Hook & Hastings organ was built some time ago. This Hook & Hastings organ is one of the only ones in the area. The organ is located in the main hall.

It was the site used, in the spring of 1993, for the performance segment of the video for "Cryin'" by Aerosmith, who had played the area in the early days. The church was also featured on the first-season episode of Haunted Towns where paranormal team Tennessee Wraith Chasers were the first ones to investigate it, trying to communicate with the ghost of Lizzie Borden who taught Sunday school here.

Cryin 1993 single by Aerosmith

"Cryin'" is a power ballad by American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Taylor Rhodes. It was released by Geffen Records on June 20, 1993 as a single from their eleventh studio album, Get a Grip. The single reached number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and is one of their most successful hits in Europe, reaching number one in Norway and Poland, number three in Sweden, and number 17 on the UK Singles Chart. The song went Gold in the United States for selling over 600,000 copies.

Aerosmith American rock band

Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "the Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop rock, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many subsequent rock artists. They were formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1970. Guitarist Joe Perry and bassist Tom Hamilton, originally in a band together called the Jam Band, met up with vocalist Steven Tyler, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarist Ray Tabano, and formed Aerosmith. In 1971, Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford, and the band began developing a following in Boston.

Haunted Towns is an American paranormal television series that premiered on August 15, 2017 in the United States on Destination America. The series features the Tennessee Wraith Chasers, a group of professional paranormal investigators that are known for trying to "trap ghosts" during their investigations. TWC continue on their paranormal journey by traveling to the most haunted locations in the most haunted towns in America. The show airs on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EST.

See also

List of Registered Historic Places in Fall River, Massachusetts, which has been transferred from and is an integral part of National Register of Historic Places listings in Bristol County, Massachusetts

Massasoit Fire House No. 5

Massasoit Fire House No. 5 is a historic former fire station located at 83 Freedom Street in Fall River, Massachusetts.

Pocasset Firehouse No. 7

Pocasset Firehouse No. 7 is a historic former fire station at located 1058 Pleasant Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. Built in 1873, it is one of four extant firehouses within the city designed by Boston architects Hartwell & Swasey in the Ruskinian Gothic style. The others include the Quequechan No. 1 on Prospect Street, the Massasoit No. 5 on Freedom Street, the Anawan No. 6 Firehouse on North Main Street.

Related Research Articles

E. and G.G. Hook was a pipe organ designing and manufacturing company, located in Boston, Massachusetts, which operated from 1827 to 1935. It was started, and originally run, by brothers Elias and George Greenleaf Hook.

Mechanics Hall (Worcester, Massachusetts)

Mechanics Hall is a concert hall in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was built in 1857 in the Renaissance Revival style and restored in 1977. Built as part of the early nineteenth-century worker's improvement movement, it is now a concert and performing arts venue ranked as one of the top four concert halls in North America and in the top twelve between Europe and America. It also houses a recording studio.

Brayton Methodist Episcopal Church

Brayton Methodist Episcopal Church is an historic former Methodist church building located at 264 Griffin Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. The wooden Gothic Revival church building was constructed in 1897 through the generosity of John Summerfield Brayton and his sister Mary Brayton Young. It was designed by local architect Charles H. Farnham.

Oak Grove Cemetery (Fall River, Massachusetts) cemetery in Fall River, Massachusetts

Oak Grove Cemetery is a historic cemetery located at 765 Prospect Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. It was established in 1855 and greatly improved upon in the years that followed. It features Gothic Revival elements, including an elaborate entrance arch constructed of locally quarried Fall River granite. The cemetery originally contained 47 acres, but has since been expanded to roughly 100 acres. The cemetery is the city's most significant, built in the planned rural-garden style of Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was designed and laid out by local architect Josiah Brown, who is also known for his designs of early mills including the Union, Border City, and others.

History of Fall River, Massachusetts

For much of its history, the city of Fall River, Massachusetts has been defined by the rise and fall of its cotton textile industry. From its beginnings as a rural outpost of the Plymouth Colony, the city grew to become the largest textile producing center in the United States during the 19th century, with over one hundred mills in operation by 1920. Even with the demise of local textile productions during the 20th century, there remains a lasting legacy of its impact on the city.

Lower Highlands Historic District

The Lower Highlands Historic District encompasses one of the oldest residential areas of Fall River, Massachusetts. The district is roughly bounded by Cherry, Main, Winter, and Bank Streets, and is located just east of the Downtown Fall River Historic District and directly south of the Highlands Historic District. This area was settled by 1810, has architecture tracing the city's growth as a major industrial center. The historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Church of the Ascension (Fall River, Massachusetts)

The Church of the Ascension is a historic Episcopal church building located at 160 Rock Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. It was completed in 1875 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It is also located within the Lower Highlands Historic District.

Unitarian Society (Fall River)

The Unitarian Society was an historic church building located at 309 North Main Street in Fall River, Massachusetts.

Jesus Marie Convent (Fall River, Massachusetts)

The Jesus Marie Convent is a historic former convent located at 138 St. Joseph's Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. It was built in 1887 and designed by local architect and parish member Louis G. Destremps, who also designed the nearby orphanage, school and church.

Cataract Engine Company No. 3

Cataract Engine Company No. 3 is a historic building at 116 Rock Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. It also served as the meeting hall of the Richard Borden GAR Post No. 46 of the Grand Army of the Republic. It is now occupied by a tobacco shop.

Corky Row Historic District historic district in Fall River, Massachusetts

Corky Row Historic District is a historic district located in Fall River, Massachusetts bounded by Plymouth Avenue, Interstate-195 and Second Street. The district contains a large number of early multi-family mill tenement houses, along with the Davol Mills, the Tecumseh Mill No. 1 and several commercial properties.

Highlands Historic District (Fall River, Massachusetts)

The Highlands Historic District is a historic district roughly bounded by June, Cherry, and Weetamoe Streets, Lincoln, Highland, President, North Main, and Hood Avenues in Fall River, Massachusetts. The district lies just north of the Lower Highlands Historic District.

A. J. Borden Building building in Massachusetts, United States

The A. J. Borden Building is a historic commercial building located at 91–111 South Main Street in Fall River, Massachusetts.

Ariadne J. and Mary A. Borden House Fall River, Massachusetts, listed on the NRHP in Massachusetts

The Ariadne J. and Mary A. Borden House is a historic house located at 92 Globe Street in Fall River, Massachusetts.

Kendal Green Historic District

The Kendal Green Historic District is a rural residential district running along North Avenue in Weston, Massachusetts. It extends for about three-quarters of a mile, and includes elements representative of the development of Weston from a rural agricultural community to a residential suburb of Boston. In addition to a variety of predominantly residential and agricultural properties, it includes two formerly industrial sites important in Weston's history: the site of the Hobbs Tannery, and that of the Hook and Hastings Organ Factory. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

References

  1. National Park Service (2008-04-15). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service.
  2. MHC Inventory Form