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

Bernardston was settled in 1737. In compliance with prevailing laws of the Puritan controlled Massachusetts Bay Colony, Congregationalism was official state religion and a church and meeting house was required to make the town eligible for incorporation. Thus this Congregational Church was erected in 1739 and also served as the town meeting house. As the town grew the building was moved three times until arrived at its current location in 1825.

In 1805 the pastor Amasa Cook was dismiss and replaced by Harvard College educated Timothy Rogers who converted the church to Unitarianism. Dissatisfied parishioners then founded a new Congregational Church across the street. Today the church is Unitarian and its history accounts for the Congregational Unitarian name.

Unitarianism is a theological movement whose fundamental tenet is the belief that God is a single person as opposed to the more prevalent Christian dogma that God is a Trinity composed of the God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Unitarians believe that the teachings of Jesus were inspired by this singular God and Jesus is not an incarnated deity. In the United States, the Unitarian theology began in Boston, MA in 1784 and spread out from New England.

The Greek Revival style, white clapboard church has been designed and modified by several architects since 1739. These including Samuel Connable, Sr. and Jr., James Couch, Moses Scott, and Orra Sheldon. The church has a gable roof and a tower topped with a domed cupola. The two story high building has a protruding façade with two entrances separated by a rectangular window flanked by black shutters. Above the entrances are a pair of shuttered windows, a pediment and a three-tiered belfry tower. The first tier has false arched windows. The second and third tiers have louvered windows. The sides of the building are five bays wide with four windows on the lower level and five larger windows on the upper level.

Street address: 49 Church Street Bernardston, MA United States 01337 County / Borough / Parish: Franklin Year listed: 1993 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1925-1949, 1900-1924, 1875-1899, 1850-1874, 1825-1849, 1800-1824, 1750-1799, 1700-1749 Historic function: Religion Current function: Religion Privately owned?: yes 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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