{"nrhp_refnum":"70000897","name":"First Church of Christ, Lancaster","other_names":["Lancaster Church","First Church of Christ,Unitarian"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Facing the Common","address_restricted":false,"city":"Lancaster","county":"Worcester County","state":"MA","lat":42.45580200750004,"lon":-71.67302195273227,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1970-12-30","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1970-12-30","areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A large two-story brick church facing the Common in Lancaster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, built in 1816 and dedicated on January 1, 1817. It was designed by Boston architect Charles Bulfinch and built by master builder Thomas Hearsey.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it probably the finest of Bulfinch's surviving New England churches. Its facade, with a two-stage brick tower, a wood cupola ringed by Roman Ionic columns and a giant arcaded portico, is singled out as especially noteworthy. The church has no artificial lighting or central heat and remains substantially as built, with only minor changes.","narrative":"Facing the town common in Lancaster, Massachusetts, this two-story brick church was dedicated on January 1, 1817. Boston architect Charles Bulfinch drew the plans in the Adamesque-Federal style, and master builder Thomas Hearsey constructed it for $19,088.66, completing the work in 151 working days. The facade is the main attraction: a two-stage brick tower carries a wooden cupola surrounded by Roman Ionic columns, in front of a giant arcaded portico. Hearsey altered Bulfinch's plan by making the three portico arches equal in height. Inside are original box and slip pews, galleries on fluted columns, and a pulpit on Ionic columns. The only exterior change was the half-hexagonal Thayer Memorial Chapel, added to the rear in 1881. Decorative wall panels and ceiling plasterwork date from 1900. The building has neither electric lighting nor central heat and is still warmed by two stoves. It is regarded as probably the finest surviving Bulfinch church in New England.","period_of_significance":"19th Century (specific date 1816)","architect_builder":"Charles Bulfinch, architect; Thomas Hearsey, master builder","architectural_style":"Adamesque-Federal","criteria":[],"status_note":"In good condition and still used for religious purposes; open to visitors upon request.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:53.50284-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/7/7939/63793907/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/70000897_NHL.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/70000897/1fcd211604-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/70000897/1fcd211604-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 2.0","author":"Paul Keleher","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lancaster_Unitarian_Church,_Lancaster,_MA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Paul Keleher</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 2.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lancaster_Unitarian_Church,_Lancaster,_MA.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"77000198","name":"Center Village District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/massachusetts/center-village-district-77000198/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63793907","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Church_of_Christ,_Unitarian","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5452719"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/worcester-county/first-church-of-christ-lancaster-70000897/"}