{"nrhp_refnum":"76000278","name":"First Religious Society Church and Parish Hall","other_names":["Unitarian Church and Parish Hall"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"26 Pleasant St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Newburyport","county":"Essex County","state":"MA","lat":42.810808364000025,"lon":-70.87128196499998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1976-04-02","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Federal-style Unitarian church built and dedicated in 1801 at 26 Pleasant Street in downtown Newburyport, Essex County, Massachusetts, with an adjacent Parish Hall built in 1873.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is a fine example of Federal architecture, with elegant detail in the central entry and Palladian window. It is also noted for its associations with distinguished Newburyport and Massachusetts citizens, including its first minister John Lowell and later minister Thomas Wentworth Higginson. The church also holds notable furnishings such as an 1834 organ and early silver.","narrative":"Built and dedicated in 1801, this two-story clapboard church on Pleasant Street in downtown Newburyport replaced an earlier, more modest meeting house that stood in nearby Market Square. Its design echoes the work of Samuel McIntire of Salem, and one historian has suggested Timothy Palmer as its designer, though the architect is not known for certain. The facade has a central entrance with fanlight and pediment, a Palladian window above, and a tall spire. Inside, box pews, a Palladian motif behind the pulpit and Corinthian pilasters survive, along with changes made in 1839 to the pulpit. A Parish Hall of 1873 stands next door and repeats the white clapboards, shuttered windows and fluted corner pilasters. The congregation's first minister, John Lowell, came from a prominent family, and Thomas Wentworth Higginson later served the church. Its 1834 organ, an eighteenth-century clock and early communion silver add to its interest.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"Attributed to Timothy Palmer (architect unknown; Joseph Alley built the 1834 organ)","architectural_style":"Federal","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied and in use as a religious property; condition listed as excellent, with exterior virtually unchanged and minor interior alterations.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:55.03752-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/74/7949/63794974/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/76000278.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76000278/74f214d59b-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76000278/74f214d59b-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"John Phelan","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_Religious_Society_Church,_Newburyport_MA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">John Phelan</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_Religious_Society_Church,_Newburyport_MA.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"84002411","name":"Newburyport Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/massachusetts/newburyport-historic-district-84002411/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63794974","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Religious_Society_Church_and_Parish_Hall","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5453750"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/essex-county/first-religious-society-church-and-parish-hall-76000278/"}