Church on the Hill
Why it's listed
Standing at the northern end of Lenox Village, the Church on the Hill is a wood-framed, gable-roofed Congregational meetinghouse built between 1802 and 1805 by joiner Benjamin D. Goodrich of Richmond, Massachusetts. A two-story frontispiece with a Palladian window and a three-stage steeple, based on a plate in Asher Benjamin's Country Builders Assistant, give it a tall, slender profile. It replaced a smaller meetinghouse of about 1775 as Lenox grew into the county seat. The building has changed little outside, though its interior was altered in 1840 and a rear pulpit projection was added in 1880. Speakers who addressed gatherings here included Robert Rantoul and William Ellery Channing. Rev. Samuel Shepard served as minister for more than fifty years. The property also includes the original town cemetery, where gravestones run from the late 18th century to the present, and where Serge Koussevitzky was buried in 1972.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church has integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association. It gave a growing county seat a larger meeting place and hosted local and national speakers. Its design shows the influence of Asher Benjamin and Charles Bulfinch and reflects the skill of its builder, Benjamin D. Goodrich.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 82001894, listed September 30, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Main St., Lenox |
|---|---|
| County | Berkshire County |
| Listed | September 30, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001894 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Mr. Benjamin D. Goodrich |
| Architectural style | Federal (high-style Federal period) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked excellent and the church is occupied for religious use; it has few exterior changes since construction, though its interior was altered in the Victorian era. |
| Acreage | 6 |
| Within district | Lenox Village Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.36420, -73.28376 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 82001894.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5118081
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.