The Eliot Congregational Church is a historic
Congregational church
Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...
at 56 Dale Street, at the corner of Walnut Avenue in the
Roxbury neighborhood of
Boston, Massachusetts.
History and architecture
The Walnut Avenue Congregational Church was originally established in 1870 as an offshoot of the Eliot Congregational Church, of Kenilworth Street. The original church building was designed by
George F. Meacham and built in 1873 by carpenters S. M. Chesley & Company and mason Robert Culbert. The building also contained frescoes by artist William S. Brazer. This first church was planned to be used as a chapel after the construction of a main sanctuary.
["Walnut-Avenue Congregational Church," ''Suffolk County Journal'', May 24, 1873.] It is built of
Roxbury puddingstone
The Roxbury Conglomerate, also informally known as Roxbury puddingstone, is a name for a rock formation that forms the bedrock underlying most of Roxbury, Massachusetts, now part of the city of Boston. The bedrock formation extends well beyond ...
and designed in what is now referred to as the
High Victorian Gothic
High Victorian Gothic was an eclectic architectural style and movement during the mid-late 19th century. It is seen by architectural historians as either a sub-style of the broader Gothic Revival style, or a separate style in its own right.
Prom ...
style,
[Eliot Congregational Church NRHP Registration Form (1985)] though in 1873 it was described as "Decorated" Gothic,
after the
second style of English Gothic architecture.
This main sanctuary, designed by
J. Williams Beal and built by L. E. Giddings, was added in 1889. In 1907, Walnut Avenue merged with the Immanuel Congregational Church at the Walnut Avenue location, under the name Immanuel-Walnut Avenue Congregational Church. In 1908 a two-story parish house was added, now forming the church's rear wing.
["Start the Parish House," ''Boston Daily Globe'', October 12, 1908, 9.] In 1922, facing a declining congregation, the Immanuel-Walnut Avenue church merged with its parent church, again at the Walnut Avenue location, as the Eliot Congregational Church, where it remains.
[''Acts and Resolves Passed by the General Court of Massachusetts, in 1922'' (Boston: Wright & Potter Printing Company, 1922): 172.] In November 1929 a fire gutted the 1889 building, leaving only the tower and exterior walls standing. The church decided to use the 1873 building as its main sanctuary, rebuilding the 1889 building as a parish house and gymnasium. This work was completed in 1931.
The 1873 building has a stained glass window manufactured by the studio of
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933) was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art NouveauL ...
, which was designed by
Frederick Wilson and installed in 1905. The space also includes a circa 1931 window designed by
Charles Jay Connick
Charles Jay Connick (1875–1945) was a prominent American painter, muralist, and designer best known for his work in stained glass in the Gothic Revival style. Born in Springboro, Pennsylvania, Connick eventually settled in the Boston area wh ...
. In Immanuel Hall, in the parish house, is another Tiffany window. This was originally installed in the Immanuel Congregational Church, and moved to its current site when the congregations merged.
The building was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1994.
Notable past pastors include
Conrad Tillard
Conrad Bennette Tillard (born September 15, 1964) is an American Baptist minister, radio host, activist, politician, and author.
Tillard was in his early years a prominent minister of the black nationalist organization the Nation of Islam (NOI). ...
. The present pastor is Evan C. Hines.
["About the Eliot," Eliot Congregational Church. Accessed October 19, 2020, https://www.eliotroxbury.org/about]
See also
*
References
Congregational churches in Boston
United Church of Christ churches in Massachusetts
Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Stone churches in Massachusetts
Roxbury, Boston
National Register of Historic Places in Boston
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