{"nrhp_refnum":"84002266","name":"Westville Congregational Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Winthrop and N. Walker Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Taunton","county":"Bristol County","state":"MA","lat":41.88577620800004,"lon":-71.13755042099996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1984-07-05","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Religion"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Federal-period Congregational church at the corner of Winthrop and North and South Walker Streets in Westville, Taunton, Massachusetts, built in 1824 and moved to its present site in 1834. The architect is unknown.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is an outstanding local example of a Federal-period New England meeting house. It is also the oldest standing church in the City of Taunton. It has held visual and historical importance at its present site for over 100 years despite being moved.","narrative":"Westville Congregational Church is a wooden meeting house at the crossroads of Winthrop Street and North and South Walker Streets in Taunton, Massachusetts. The West Congregational Society, formed by dissenters from the First Parish Church, built its first meeting house in Oakland in 1792. That building was dismantled in 1824 and rebuilt on land bought from mill operator John West for $100. The form also records a move in 1834. Today it is the oldest standing church in the city. The Federal-style building has a gabled entrance projection, simple window treatment, and a door surround of pilasters carrying a cap-molded entablature. A one-tiered tower supports a polygonal cupola and belfry. Wood shingles were added in 1979. The church was listed for its architecture as a local example of a Federal meeting house and for its historical role as Taunton's oldest church, and it retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Federal","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still in use as a church; wood shingles were added in 1979.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:57.634844-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/11/7895/63789511/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/84002266.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002266/e8de4115b7-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002266/e8de4115b7-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Westville_Church_Taunton.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Westville_Church_Taunton.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63789511","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westville_Congregational_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7989780"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/bristol-county/westville-congregational-church-84002266/"}