First Congregational Church of Blandford - Blandford, MA - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

The Congregational Church was first organized in Blanford in 1735. The cornerstone of the First Congregational Church of Blandford was laid on June 12, 1822 and the church was completed on October 30, 1822 and it also served as Blandford's first meeting house. It was built in the Federal style designed by the famous New England architect Isaac Damon who was inspired by the Congregational Church of Pittsfield designed by Charles Bulfinch.

The entrance to the church is located at the south gabled end of the two story building. The front has a vestibule which is three bays wide with three entrances on the first floor and three sets of windows below a pediment which has a gabled roof. The vestibule is flanked by a pair of additional bays with windows on the first and second levels. A belfry tower rises from the main block of the building. It is topped by a three tiered octagonal steeple with a dome on the top which supports a finial and a swallow-tailed weather vane. The sides of the building are five bays wide with windows on the upper level and lower level that match those on the front of the building.

A bronze plaque on the front of the building is inscribed:

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF BLANDFORD 1735 - 1985 "THOU SHALT REMEMBER ALL THE WAY WHICH THE LORD THY GOD LED THEE" DEUT 8:2

The congregation was disbanded in 1985. In the early 1990s a committee of citizens began a full-scale restoration of the church. The building is now owned by the Historical Society of Blandford and is maintained by volunteers. It is open by appointment in the summer and is used as a venue for weddings and concerts. It is currently undergoing addition restoration in preparation for its 200th anniversary celebration in 2022.

Street address: 4 North Street Blandord, MA United Sates 01008 County / Borough / Parish: Hampden Year listed: 1985 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture Periods of significance: 1800-1824 Historic function: Religion Current function: Recreation And Culture Privately owned?: no Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Secondary Website 2: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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