Item Details
Springfield's Historic First Church
| Format | Postcard |
|---|---|
| Description | 2 pages |
| Language | English |
| City, State | Springfield, MA |
| Denomination | Congregational churches |
| Subject | Fine Arts |
| Notes | 275 Years of Church of History. This little meetinghouse of 1645 was the first built in Springfield, only 30 families living here then. First Church of today on historic Court Square built 1819. 20,000 families live here. Springfield's Historic First Church, of today, built 1819, is the fourth building erected by the society, which was formed 1637, one year after the town's settlement. Most churches in colonial days were called meetinghouses, being intended for general public use. Many of them were built to ward off attacks of the savages. The Turrett at the top served as a watchtower. The second story of this church was for a time used for storing grain. The fine steeples of these old houses are imitations of English spires of the seventeenth Century, and the beautiful doorways and other ornamentations are copied after heathen temples. The copper weather cock, an idea borrowed from old England, is to remind the church of Peter's warning, and constitutes a call to repentance. Springfield's Rooster is one of three made by a noted London coppersmith and brought over in 1750, so he is now "162 years young" - a much looked up to and respected resident. The other two were placed on Old South Church, Boston, and the church at Newburyport. |
| Collection | James R. Tanis Collection of Church Postcards |
| Contributor | Princeton Theological Seminary |
| Rights |  Copyright Not EvaluatedDigitized collections are made accessible for purposes of education and research.
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