{"nrhp_refnum":"78000461","name":"First Church Congregational","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Pleasant and Stevens Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Methuen","county":"Essex County","state":"MA","lat":42.72942121400007,"lon":-71.18518726499997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-12-01","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Art","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A granite Gothic-style Congregational church complex at Pleasant and Stevens Streets in Methuen, Massachusetts, with a main church built in 1855, Phillips Chapel added 1881, an apse dedicated 1895 and a Parish House built 1964.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is significant for its architecture and for its ties to the growth of Methuen. It is the congregation's third meetinghouse and an early high-style \"Roman\" edifice for a non-conformist congregation. The 1895 apse by Heins and LaFarge holds a LaFarge window, \"The Resurrection,\" and fine marble and sculptural work.","narrative":"First Congregational Church sits on a 1-3/4 acre lot at Pleasant and Stevens Streets in Methuen, Massachusetts. The main church, built in 1855, is a rough-cut Pelham granite auditorium with a three-story crenellated tower, lancet windows and a Gothic-arched entrance. Phillips Chapel was added in 1881, the apse was dedicated in 1895, and a buff brick Parish House followed in 1964. It is the congregation's third meetinghouse; the first was erected by the town in 1728 and the second in 1796, and the 1855 building reuses materials from the second. Its formal \"Roman\" design was unusual for a non-conformist congregation. The apse, designed by Heins and LaFarge, is finished with marble from several regions and holds figures by Louis St. Gaudens. Its window, \"The Resurrection,\" is made of about 10,000 pieces of glass, and LaFarge regarded it as his masterpiece. The church is noted for its architecture and its role in Methuen's development.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"Original architect unknown; apse by Heins and LaFarge","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as occupied, privately owned and in religious use.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:53.601527-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/86/7946/63794686/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/78000461.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78000461/368a586fc0-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78000461/368a586fc0-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 2.0","author":"EraserGirl","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Methuen_First_Congregational.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">EraserGirl</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:Methuen_First_Congregational.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"84002417","name":"Pleasant-High Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/massachusetts/pleasant-high-historic-district-84002417/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63794686","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Church_Congregational","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8563342"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/essex-county/first-church-congregational-78000461/"}