NRHP: French Congregational Church - Springfield, MA

National Register of Historic Places

French Congregational Church

Springfield, MA

N 42° 05.974 W 072° 35.229

Short Description: 

The French Congregational Church, now the First Spiritualist Church, is located on Bliss Street near downtown Springfield, MA.

Long Description:

The First Spiritualist Church is 68' by 42' and constructed of pressed brick with trim of East Longmeadow brownstone. It was built in 1887 by Sam Provost in a High Victorian Gothic style created by a local architect. The front facade has three distinct elements. The central part is a narrow gable-end building which is flanked by two pointed towers. The east tower is capped by an octagonal spire roof. At the base is a narrow entrance porch. The larger 68' west tower has a pyramidal roof and decorative brickwork along the cornice and around the windows. The main entrance is at the base of this tower.

A plaque placed in celebration of the 350th Anniversary of the founding of Springfield is located near the front door. It explains the history of the church:

FIRST
SPIRITUALIST
CHURCH
33-37 Bliss Street
Built 1887

*=====================================

Originally the French Protestant Church, this edifice was
erected with the support of Daniel Wesson, a local in-
dustrialist, to serve the small French-Canadian Protestant
population in the City. In 1909, the building was given up by
the French due to declining membership. For the next ten 
years it served a variety of ethnic groups including Italian
Baptists and Black Protestant congregations. In 1919, the
First Spiritualist Society, which organized in 1850, pur-
chased the church and has continued to use it.

*=======350

1636 - 1986 Springfield MA

This property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Street address: 
First Spiritualist Church
33-37 Bliss Street
Springfield , MA United States
01105

County / Borough / Parish: Hampden

Year listed: 1983

Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering

Periods of significance: 1875-1899

Historic function: Religion

Current function: Religion

Privately owned?: yes