Westville Congregational Church
Why it's listed
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.
Significance in brief: 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.
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 84002266, listed July 5, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Winthrop and N. Walker Sts., Taunton |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | July 5, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002266 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a church; wood shingles were added in 1979. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 41.88578, -71.13755 (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 84002266.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7989780
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.