| Central Congregational Church | |
| Nrhp Type: | cp |
| Nocat: | yes |
| Partof: | Stimson Avenue Historic District |
| Partof Refnum: | 73000003 |
| Coordinates: | 41.8289°N -71.3958°W |
| Location: | 296 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island |
| Built: | 1893 |
| Architect: | Carrère and Hastings |
| Architecture: | Renaissance Revival |
| Added: | April 24, 1973 |
Central Congregational Church is a United Church of Christ congregation established in 1852 in Providence, Rhode Island.The current church building at 296 Angell Street was built in 1893, designed by New York architectural firm Carrère and Hastings. It is part of the Stimson Avenue Historic District. The church has a long tradition of social and community work in the Providence area, the United States and around the world.[1]
The church’s history traces back to the 1830s, when Providence Congregationalists sought a new place of worship on the east side of the river. They received a charter for the Benefit Street Congregational Society in 1836 but faced difficulties obtaining land.[2] The organization received a new charter in 1850, and changed its name to the Central Congregational Society in 1851.Among the early leaders in the church were John Kingsbury, William J. King, George L. Claflin, William J. Cross, and Nancy Marsh.The church called the Rev. Leonard Swain from Nashua, New Hampshire to be its minister in 1852. Rev. Swain insisted that the church pay off all its debts before he accepted his call.[3] Rev. Swain was "a man of rare intellectual power and attainment, commanding a sustained hearing among men of prominence in the city, men who disagreed with him radically as to his strictness and to his views of life and conduct, yet who came to hear the greatest preacher in Providence."[4] Leonard Swain died at age 48 in 1869, while serving as minister.[5]
For the church’s 50th anniversary in 1902, longtime deacon Moses E. Torrey wrote of the founding of the church and the pastorate of Leonard Swain.[6] After Torrey’s address, the Rev. George Harris, the Rev. Charles W. Huntington, and the Rev. Edward C. Moore each wrote of their successive pastorates. During Moore's tenure, the church made the transition from its original Benefit Street building to a new edifice on Angell Street and Diman Place. Rev. Moore resigned to become Parkman Professor of Theology at Harvard University in 1902, the year of the church’s 50th anniversary. At this time, Gregory D. Walcott was the Assistant Minister, and the diaconate consisted of Moses E. Torrey, Edwin Barrows, Thomas B. Stockwell, John W. Danielson, Frederic H. Fuller, Arthur W. Fairchild, Frederick H. Jackson, and James C. Kimball.[7]
The church supported the founding of the first Cape Verdean Protestant church in America, now called Sheldon Street Church.[8]
The church published a paper for its 75th anniversary in 1927. The paper notes early members John Kingsbury, William J. King, William J. Cross, William Viall, Abner Gay, Shubael Hutchins, and Frederick Fuller. It also mentions Amos D. Smith, James Y. Smith, William Foster, Samuel Foster, Robert H. Ives, and Alexander Duncan who were not members, but were actively involved in the church.[9]
The original building of Central Congregational Church is a brownstone Romanesque structure at 226 Benefit Street, designed by Thomas Tefft and built from 1853-1856.[10] The site was determined by a building committee of James Y. Smith, John Kingsbury, and William Foster, with a groundbreaking in 1851.[11] The Congregation outgrew this building in the College Hill Historic District, and moved to its current location in the 1890s. The old building is now part of the Rhode Island School of Design, and is known as Memorial Hall.[12]
A committee of Francis W. Carpenter, John W. Danielson, Frederic Fuller, Frederick C. Sayles, and Frederic Talbot recommended the move to the corner of Angell Street and Diman Place. For the new building, architect Thomas Hastings and minister Edward C. Moore wanted to use the Renaissance style for its historical associations. The cornerstone was laid in July 1891, and the building was dedicated in November 1893. Franklin J. Sawtelle served as supervising and constructing architect.
The dome and vaulting of the current structure is of tiles by Rafael Guastavino, it is the first dome that he constructed in the U.S.[13] The dome and vaulting originally featured exposed red Guastavino tile on its exterior, but this was later covered with copper. The original towers were damaged in storms, and were replaced in 1958.[14]
The interior features oak woodwork. Some work was completed by Pottier & Stymus.
The primary interior decoration is focused on the pulpit and the chancel.
Francis W. Carpenter funded the chancel apse decoration, which was executed by Herman T. Schladermundt of New York. The First Century of Central Congregational Church (1952) describes the painted scenes:
The communion table was "purchased from the legacy of Miss Nancy Marsh."[15] The Gorham bronze lectern was a gift of the Young People's Societies.
The round stained-glass windows under the dome were the work of the J&R Lamb Studios and the Decorative Stained Glass Company, and were installed when the church was built.
The larger stained-glass windows were designed by Jacob Holzer with work by the Duffner and Kimberly Company, and were installed over several years in the early 20th century. They depict the creation of the earth in the east and the heavenly city in the west, and are described as 'unsurpassed in the state.'[16] The First Century of Central Congregational Church (1952) provides a description of the window plan:
An additional backlit stained-glass pendant was added at the corner of the side aisle and the East Transept in 1950. It was given by former organist, Helen Hogan Coome, who with church support ministered to Londoners suffering after The Blitz. The pendant is a depiction of the church, designed by an artist that Coome helped.[17] It is described in the 1952 Anniversary Calendar:
The current Aeolian-Skinner organ was installed in 1965 and dedicated to the Reverend Arthur Howe Bradford. It replaced an organ built by Austin Organs in 1917, which replaced a Farrand & Votey Organ Company instrument. The installation included a new organ screen and the extension of the choir loft. It contains four divisions, 58 ranks and a total of 3,456 pipes, and was restored in 2009.[18]
Before the construction of the present sanctuary, the church built Memorial Chapel, now known as Chapel Hall. The Chapel was given to the church by Mr. and Mrs. John W. Danielson and Miss Amelia Lockwood, in memory of Amos DeForest Lockwood and Amelia Fuller Lockwood. It was first used on Easter Sunday, April 17, 1892.[19]
Between 1928 and 1932, the church added a large Church School building, and renovated and expanded other facilities, including the Memorial Chapel.[20] The architects for these additions were Jackson, Robertson & Adams. The Education Wing contains a large basement recreation room, known as the Makepeace Room.
In 1964, the side-facing pews in the West Transept were re-arranged to face forward, creating the Wilson Chapel. It is named in honor of the Rev. William Croft Wilson, a young associate minister of the church who died very suddenly.[21]
To date, there have been ten Senior Ministers of Central Congregational Church: