First Congregational Church (Richmond, Michigan)
Encyclopedia
The First Congregational Church, currently known as the Richmond Center for the Performing Arts, is a church building located at 69619 Parker in Richmond, Michigan
, and is the oldest public building in the city. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1975.
structure constructed of red brick on a fieldstone
foundation. The front facade is asymmetrical, with a square tower with wooden belfry standing to one side of the entrance. Stepped buttresses and lancet windows containing tracery decorate the exterior, making the building a significant and well-reserved example of 19th century Gothic Revival architecture.
Richmond, Michigan
Richmond is a city on the border between Macomb and St. Clair counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,897 at the 2000 census. The 2008 Census Bureau Estimate places the population at 5,606. Most of the city is located in Macomb County, though there is a small portion in St....
, and is the oldest public building in the city. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1975.
History
In 1871, a group of Richmond settlers formed the First Congregational Church. The congregation's first church was built in 1872, and in 1887, the congregation hired local builder Charles W. McCauley to build a second church. In 1973, the congregation of the First Congregational Church merged with nearby St. Paul's Evangelical and Reformed Church, and the building was sold to the Richmond Community Theatre. The theatre group restored the exterior of the church, and adapted the interior for use as a theatre. As of 2011, the building houses the Richmond Center for the Performing Arts and is administered by the Richmond Board of Education.Description
Richmond's First Congregational Church is a Gothic RevivalGothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
structure constructed of red brick on a fieldstone
Fieldstone
Fieldstone is a building construction material. Strictly speaking, it is stone collected from the surface of fields where it occurs naturally...
foundation. The front facade is asymmetrical, with a square tower with wooden belfry standing to one side of the entrance. Stepped buttresses and lancet windows containing tracery decorate the exterior, making the building a significant and well-reserved example of 19th century Gothic Revival architecture.