{"nrhp_refnum":"91001898","name":"First Congregational Church in Woburn","other_names":["First Church"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"322 Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Woburn","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.47871513100006,"lon":-71.15210213199998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1992-01-06","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A wooden Italianate/Romanesque Revival church at 322 Main Street in downtown Woburn, Massachusetts, built in 1859-1860 as the sixth and last meetinghouse of the First Congregational Church parish. It was designed by architect John Stevens.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church represents over 300 years of Congregational influence in Woburn and is the mother church of several other parishes. It is also a fine example of Italianate/Romanesque Revival design by a prolific church architect, and its steeple has long been a local landmark. It meets criteria A and C, and criteria consideration A, at the local level.","narrative":"Standing on Main Street beside Woburn Common, First Congregational Church was built in 1859-1860 as the parish's sixth and final meetinghouse. Architect John Stevens designed the five-story wood-frame building in a blend of Italianate and Romanesque Revival styles, with buttresses, bracketed eaves, round-arched windows and a 196-foot steeple. The main block measures 80 by 150 feet and reportedly holds the longest free-standing wood span in North America. Inside, the double-height sanctuary keeps its balconies and an 1860 E. & G. G. Hook organ. The congregation was gathered in 1642, a month before Woburn's incorporation, and later gave rise to Congregational parishes in neighboring areas and towns. A 1642 horse block, moved to the front lawn in the 19th century, and a cast-iron fence are part of the property. The church was recognized for its architecture and its link to Woburn's settlement and growth, and it still serves its congregation.","period_of_significance":"1860-1941","architect_builder":"Stevens, John; Tilson, D. and Son","architectural_style":"Late Victorian: Italianate; Late Victorian: Romanesque","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Largely intact and in good condition; the church remains the headquarters of parish activities.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:03.803386-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/46/7958/63795846/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/91001898.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/91001898/0188fd2860-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/91001898/0188fd2860-1600.webp","licence":"CC0","author":"Daderot","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_Congregational_Church_in_Woburn_-_DSC02732.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Daderot</a>, <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_Congregational_Church_in_Woburn_-_DSC02732.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63795846","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Church_of_Woburn","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5452836"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/first-congregational-church-in-woburn-91001898/"}