The Community Church of Harrisville and Chesham - This Old Church on Waymarking.com

The Community Church of Harrisville and Chesham, formerly the Harrisville Congregational Church, is a striking structure in the center of the rural town of Harrisville, New Hampshire. The brick structure fits nicely with the other brick structures in town, including the mills, boarding houses, store, and other houses.

According to the book source (see below), the residents of Harrisville formed a Congregational Church in 1840, splitting from the nearby church in Nelson, due to the long distance to travel. A small chapel was built in 1840, but a larger building commenced soon afterwards. It was dedicated in August of 1842. The small chapel (also called 'The Vestry'), was turned into the Sunday School for the church.

The church went through ups and downs in membership over the many years. Some people in town went to a Baptist Church in Munsonville (part of Nelson) or Dublin. However, many of the mill workers in town were Roman Catholic, and though there was no Catholic Church nearby (until later), few attended the town church. At some time, the Harrisville Congregational Church merged with the Baptist Church of Chesham and formed The Community Church of Harrisville and Chesham, retaining membership in both denominations.

Sources Used:

Wikipedia entry for Harrisville:
(visit link)

Book:
John Bordon Armstrong, "Factory Under the Elms," Museum of American Textile History, North Andover, MA, 1985.

Brochure:
"A Walking Tour of Harrisville," Mary Meath, Historic Harrisville, Inc.

Date the Church was built, dedicated or cornerstone laid: 08/01/1842 Age of Church building determined by?: Other reliable source If denomination of Church is not part of the name, please provide it here: Formed from Baptist and Congregational groups. If Church holds a weekly worship service and "all are welcome", please give the day of the week: Sunday Indicate the time that the primary worship service is held. List only one: 9:30 AM Street address of Church: 12 Canal Street Harrisville, NH United States 03450 If Church is open to the public, please indicate hours: Not listed Primary website for Church or Historic Church Building: Not listed Secondary Website for Church or Historic Church Building: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   09/29/2013 Zambesiboy visited it