First Congregational Church of East Hartford and Parsonage - East Hartford, Connecticut
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 41° 46.136 W 072° 38.654
18T E 695809 N 4626803
Historic church and parsonage in East Hartford, Connecticut.
Waymark Code: WMC55H
Location: Connecticut, United States
Date Posted: 07/26/2011
Views: 7
"The First Congregational Church of East Hartford is a large frame Greek Revival Church built in 1835. It sits close to the street on a busy corner, the intersection of Main Street and Connecticut Boulevard, a major route across the river to Hartford. Most of the nearby buildings are low 20th-century commercial blocks, but sharing the large lot with the church is the parsonage, built sometime in the 1850's.
The main part of the church is rectangular in plan 60 x 76', the equivalent of 2½ stories high, with the ridge of the roof perpendicular to Main Street. The east gable end is brought forward to form the pediment of a portico, supported by six fluted Ionic columns on stone bases. The columns rest on a platform which is constructed of large granite blocks, as are several steps leading up to the portico. The rest of the foundation is brick. The main facade within the portico is five bays wide, with three entrance ways flanked by a window at either end and five corresponding windows on the second level. The side facades show two tiers of four windows, and the rear or west gable has two quarter round windows. Above the asphalt-shingled roof rises a square two-stage tower, positioned just behind the portico. The first stage is a belfry with corner pilasters and two plain columns in antis within a louvered opening on each side. The second stage is similar but smaller, and has four clock faces. Both stages terminate with wooden Greek parapets...
The church has several additions to the rear. These are all smaller and lower than the main building and are not obtrusive. The first of these is the 1888 chapel, now used for offices. Herein is a stained-glass rose window in memory of Samuel Pitkin, a deacon and first superintendent of the Sunday School. Immediately west, and also used for offices, is ,an earlier 1867 chapel, moved back when the later one was built, and lastly is the present modern chapel.
In 1876 the interior was severely damaged by fire and completely redone, so that everything inside, with the possible exception of the gallery seats, dates from that year or later.
The parsonage just south of the church is a two-story frame house, cubical in form with a nearly flat roof. The main facade is three bays wide with a central entrance lighted by sidelights and transom. There is a flat-roofed entrance porch carried on square columns, with panelled bases and large capitals." - National Register Nomination
The building continues to serve its active congregation. The church is now associated with the United Church of Christ.