{"nrhp_refnum":"02001037","name":"First Trinitarian Congregational Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"381 Country Way","address_restricted":false,"city":"Scituate","county":"Plymouth County","state":"MA","lat":42.20020428600003,"lon":-70.75987656899997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2002-09-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Religion","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Congregational church complex at 381 Country Way in Scituate, Massachusetts. Its wood-frame sanctuary was built in 1826 and has additions from 1890, 1954 and 1988.","why_significant":"The 1826 sanctuary retains its original volume, window pattern, exterior trim and gallery, and its Early Classical Revival design carries Greek Revival influences. The church also records the history of a long-established Scituate congregation, including the 1853 bell tower built under Rev. Daniel Wight, Jr. and the long support of the Ladies' Sewing Circle during decades of financial difficulty.","narrative":"This Congregational church sits on a two-thirds-acre lot in the civic center of Scituate, facing Country Way, with Fairview Cemetery extending behind it. The main sanctuary, a 2½-story wood-frame building, dates to 1826 and is neo-classical in style with Greek Revival influences. Its front has a pediment, flat pilasters, arched openings and a large Palladian window. Inside, a curved gallery rests on Doric columns. A spire replaced the original cupola in 1853 and was rebuilt in 1947. Additions followed in 1890, 1954 (Rice Hall) and 1988, and the pulpit area was redesigned in 1951. The congregation faced money problems for much of the 19th century and into the 20th, and relied on gifts, a missionary society and the Ladies' Sewing Circle, which paid for improvements such as carpeting, wallpaper and an organ. Minister Daniel Wight, Jr. led the 1853 tower project and is remembered for strengthening the church. The complex remains in religious, social and day-care use.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"George C. Lee and John Bailey of North Scituate (built the 1853 steeple); Rev. Daniel Wight, Jr. (designed the 1853 bell tower project)","architectural_style":"Early Classical Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Still used as a religious facility and meeting hall; the 1988 wing houses a nursery school (day-care center).","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:04.526305-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/38/7966/63796638/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/02001037.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/02001037/d6abcd8cad-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/02001037/d6abcd8cad-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Electrachrome","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_Trinitarian_Congregational_Church.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Electrachrome</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_Trinitarian_Congregational_Church.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63796638","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Trinitarian_Congregational_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5453920"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/plymouth-county/first-trinitarian-congregational-church-02001037/"}