Ghost Hit Recording - First Congregational Church - West Springfield, MA
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 42° 06.869 W 072° 37.511
18T E 696329 N 4665216
The Federal style former First Congregational Church, a.k.a. the White Church, is now the home of the Ghost Hit Recording, a recording studio. The former church located at 732 Elm Street at the intersection of Witch Path in West Springfield, MA.
Waymark Code: WM17GZB
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 02/20/2023
Views: 0
Sources:
Ghost Hits Recording:
Link
Lost New England:
Link
MACRIS:
Link
The white, wooden clapboard covered building was erected on June 14, 1800 in the Federal style designed by Capt. Timothy Billings. It is the oldest surviving church building in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts. In 1909, the congregation merged with the Park Street Congregation Society which now also called the First Congregational Church. The building was then sold to the Masons as a meeting place in 1918. In 2005 is was sold to Rotary Records and since 2020 has been owned by Ghost Hit Recordings. Restoration of the building was completed in 2022.
A sign on the southwest corner of the building is inscribed:
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL
CHURCH
---
PARISH INCORPORATED BY ACT OF
GENERAL COURT MAY 1696.
CHURCH ORGANIZED JUNE 1698
MEETING-HOUSE ERECTED
ON THE COMMON 1702
---
THIS BUILDING ERECTED 1800
SUNDAY-SCHOOL ORGANIZED MAY 1820
The two story high church is five bays wide by five bays deep. A square tower projects from the front middle bay. Above the tower entrance is a Palladian window, a 4 by 6 pane double hung window, a louvered window and a clock. Within a railing is are two octagonal towers and an octagonal spire topped by a weather vane.
The main block has auxiliary entrances on the first and fifth bay of the front and five by 8 pane double hung windows at the second and fourth bay of the lower level and on the 4 upper bays of the second level. Each side has five 3 by 4 pane double hung windows on the upper and lower levels.
Visit Instructions:1) A photo of the church is required for visits to a waymark.
2) Please share some comments about your visit.
3) Additional photos are encouraged. If you can have information in addition to that already provided about this church, please share it with us.