Christ Church - Cambridge, MA
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NorStar
N 42° 22.536 W 071° 07.222
19T E 325428 N 4693657
Christ Church, which has a history dating back to before the American Revolutionary War, was given a Preservation Award in 2013 from the Cambridge Historical Commission.
Waymark Code: WMYMX2
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 07/01/2018
Views: 3
In Cambridge, facing the Cambridge Common, is Christ Church, which received a preservation award from the Cambridge Historical Commission in 2013.
The church is located along Garden Street, on the south side of Cambridge Common. It is a short distance from the intersection with Massachusetts Avenue. To the right of the main entrance facing Garden Street is a white historical sign - below that is a small, blue oval marker that says "Cambridge Historical Commission Preservation Award 2013."
The church is a wooden structure, with a bell tower and a peaked roof. The building is simply adorned and painted grey with white trim.
The two historical signs on either side of the entrance, provide some historical context to the church. The congregation started in 1759. The first service was in 1761. In 1774, most of the congregation - those loyal to the crown - fled the area to places like Canada. The church structure was occupied by the Colonial Army assembled on the common. Then General George and Martha Washington had a service performed on December 31, 1775. Theodore Roosevelt, future President of the United States of America, taught Sunday School here. Rev. Martin Luther King spoke here, saying that "there comes a time when silence is betrayal."
The award was used to fund exterior work on the building. According to the Massachusetts Newswire web site, "The building had become weathered over the years and had suffered through earlier patchwork repairs. Some of the original siding had shrunk and then expanded again, leaving gaps, and other sections were discovered to have been installed upside-down. Many of the original exterior boards were removed, stripped, painted, and re-attached. Old growth western red cedar was used where replacement boards were needed. Windows were also repaired. Broken modern plate glass, as well as broken 18th century glass panes, were replaced with 19th century salvaged restoration glass."
Cambridge Historical Commission has been offering preservation awards since 1997.
Sources:
Christ Church Cambridge (History):
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visit link)
Cambridge Day (More than Dozen Projects, People Honored with Cambridge Preservation Awards):
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visit link)
Massachusetts News Wire (Charlie Allen Restorations Announces Christ Church Cambridge with Historic Preservation Award):
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visit link)