Old First Church
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Old First Church at 126 Main Street, Huntington, is a Presbyterian church on a hilltop between the downtown commercial district and a residential neighborhood. It is a two-and-one-half-story timber-framed building with a steeply pitched gable roof, shingle sheathing, and a five-story square belltower topped by an octagonal base, a hexagonal steeple and a weathervane. Classical details include modillioned cornices, an urn-decorated parapet, pilastered door surrounds and lunette windows. The present building is the congregation's third. The first was built in 1665 and the second in 1714. British troops used the second for storage and shelter after 1776 and dismantled it in 1782 to build Fort Golgotha. The surviving church, built after the occupation ended, is regarded as the oldest church in the town and the only non-residential eighteenth-century building in the survey area. A rear addition from about 1900 and two 1970s wings are clad in matching white shingles; the 1970s wings are considered non-contributing.
Significance in brief: The church is described as the oldest extant church in the town of Huntington and the only non-residential eighteenth-century building in the multiple resource area. It is also an outstanding, relatively unaltered example of religious settlement period architecture with classical details. It symbolized the town's recovery after eight years of British occupation during the Revolutionary War.
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 85003500, listed November 6, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 126 Main St., Huntington |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | November 6, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003500 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Religious settlement period architecture with classical details, reflecting New England colonial religious architecture influence |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a church; condition given as good on the inventory form, with additions from about 1900 and the 1970s (the inventory form checks both good and fair in places, with 'good' marked as the condition). |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 40.87446, -73.41931 (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 85003500.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7083983
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.