United Congregational Church: An Endangered Historic Building

In 1854, the Main Street Congregational Church was consumed by fire. The congregation, whose principal lay leader was William A. Buckingham, decided to build anew on Broadway. Architect Evan Burdick, who had designed the Wauregan Hotel only a year or so earlier, was retained to design and build the new church.

The new building was intended to dominate the Norwich skyline. The spire rose 201 feet above the pavement. Evans used a variation of the Romanesque Revival style to create a relatively simple, yet dignified, design. The foundation is of Portland brownstone. Above this rise the round-arched sanctuary bays. Above these is a brick belt course just below the projecting eaves.

At the front, massive square towers have round-arched bays three stories high, with keystones at the top of the arches. A brick belt course extends from the spring line of the arches around each tower. The front entry has round-arched doorways with keystones. Above is an arched Palladian window with engaged Tuscan columns. The end of the gable roof, which faces Broadway, also has a projecting cornice with a belt course below.

The interior of the church is reflects the simplicity of the exterior. The arched ceiling rises 38 feet above the sanctuary floor. The balcony is supported by octagonal cast iron columns, and is faced with shouldered moldings. The church could accommodate 1,000 worshippers. Contemporary accounts indicate that it was frequently filled to capacity.

At the front of the sanctuary, the organ is set within a round-arched apse. The original organ was donated by William A. Buckingham and set within a black walnut casing. The organ case is the original, although the instrument itself is a 20th century replacement.

In 1891, the church hired Louis Comfort Tiffany to redesign the sanctuary. Tiffany installed stained glass windows with his characteristic opalescent glass, stenciled the apse opening and the walls and ceilings of the church. Carpeting was woven to Tiffany’s specifications. Furnishings were also added to the sanctuary, transforming its appearance to compete with newer buildings such as the 1873 Park Congregational Church.

In 1894, the spire was struck by lightning. The damage was so extensive that the decision was made to remove the structure down to the square tower on which it rested. The 1938 Hurricane demolished the top story of the other tower, which contained the belfry. The tower was rebuilt a full story lower. Despite these changes, the church maintains the integrity of its original design.

In 1918, the Broadway Congregational Church and Second Congregational Church merged to form United Congregational Church. The merged congregation met in the Broadway building. Several years ago, members noticed cracking in the sanctuary ceiling. The Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation awarded the church an Historic Preservation Technical Assistance Grant (HPTAG) which the church matched. GNCB engineers were hired to conduct a survey of the sanctuary conditions, make recommendations, and prepare specifications for repairing and restoring the sanctuary.

Careful investigation by the engineers revealed that the wooden scissor trusses, from which the sanctuary ceiling is suspended, have deformed. In turn, the plaster ceiling is detaching from its supports. The front wall of the church contains two built-in chimneys flanking the arch. These were partially demolished and filled with rubble, probably in the early 20th century. The chimneys have partially collapsed, threatening the stability of the arch.

The solution calls for stabilizing the roof trusses and painstakingly refastening the ceiling structure to its supports. The chimneys in the front wall will be rebuilt as structural elements, not as functioning chimneys. After this work, repair and repainting of the plaster ceiling will be done.

The total cost of the project is $400,000. The Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism has awarded the church a $125,000 Historic Restoration Fund grant. United Congregational Church needs to raise approximately $150,000 to bridge the gap between the cost of the work and anticipated fund availability. Contributions towards the restoration of United Congregational Church may be sent to:

Click on the images to enlarge

Church interior showing the Tiffany stenciling on the front wall	Church after the 1894 lightning strike	Church in early 20th century, before the 1938 Hurricane, and after removal of the spire