- Old West Church, Boston, Massachusetts
Infobox_nrhp | name =Old West Church
nrhp_type = nhl
caption = Old West Church
location=Boston, Massachusetts
lat_degrees = 42
lat_minutes = 21
lat_seconds = 41.19
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 71
long_minutes = 3
long_seconds = 51.16
long_direction = W
locmapin = Massachusetts
area =
built =1806
architect= Benjamin,Asher
architecture= Federal
designated=December 30 ,1970
added =December 30 ,1970
governing_body = Private
refnum=70000691cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service] The Old West Church at 131 Cambridge Street,Boston, Massachusetts , is a historic church located in The West End of BostonMassachusetts , built in 1806 to designs by architectAsher Benjamin . It was here that the phrase "no taxation without representation " was first coined.The first church on this site was built in 1737 as a wood frame building, and was occupied as a barracks by British troops during their occupation of the city prior to the
American Revolution . The British razed this church in 1775 when they suspected that American Colonials were signaling to Cambridge from its steeple.Today's Old West Church is thus the second church on the site. As in the architect's earlier
Charles Street Meeting House (1804), its three-and-a-half story brick entry tower is crowned with acupola ; the whole tower projects outward somewhat from the church hall behind. Four shallow brickpilaster s, each two stories high and trimmed with white wood, separate the three entry doors. Each door is echoed with window above it. The tower's third story is outfitted with pairs of Doric pilasters. On the final half-story beneath the cupola are clocks on each face of the tower, each adorned with a light swag. On the back wall, the originalcentral pulpit window has been filled in with brickwork.Old West's preaching played a major role in American history.
Jonathan Mayhew , the church's second Congregational pastor, coined the phrase, "no taxation without representation " in a sermon in Old West. His preaching was theologically radical as well, and is held by some Unitarians to have predatedWilliam Ellery Channing in his exposition ofanti-trinitarian views. By the early 1800s, the resultantUnitarianism had converted 9 of Boston’s original 13 orthodox Congregational churches.The church was originally and for many years Congregational, briefly a branch of the
Boston Public Library (1894-1896), and has been owned by theMethodist Church since 1964.References
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