Christ Episcopal Church (Waltham, Massachusetts)
Encyclopedia
Christ Church is a historic Episcopal
church at 750 Main Street in Waltham, Massachusetts
. The church is a parish
of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
, and was named to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1989.
The church was founded in 1848, but a local hall was used for services until a wooden church was built in 1849. The wooden structure eventually proved inadequate and a larger church designed by Peabody and Stearns
was built of local fieldstone
at the current location between 1897 and 1898.
The church contains stained glass windows produced by several noteworthy manufacturers, including Clayton and Bell
, Charles Connick
, and Louis Comfort Tiffany
. Eight rectors have served the church since its founding.
was completed on Central Street in Waltham in 1849. The land for the church and much of its funding was provided by founding member J.S. Copley Greene.
Christ Church's first rector was the Rev. Thomas F. Fales, from St. Paul's Episcopal Church
in Brunswick, Maine
. Fales remained the church's rector for more than 40 years, until retiring in 1890. During this time, Christ Church's membership grew from 15 members to more than 400.
At about the time Fales retired, the church outgrew the Central Street building. In 1892, the parish bought land with the intent of building a larger church at 750 Main Street. In 1895, the old church building was sold to a French Canadian
Roman Catholic community. Christ Church held services in Waltham's Maynard Hall until the new building could be completed.
In 1896, after four years of planning, the architectural firm of Peabody and Stearns
was hired to design the new structure and construction began in the early months of 1897. Philanthropist and Christ Church senior warden
Robert Treat Paine, Jr. signed the contract for construction, and financed much of the building with his own fortune. Philanthropist sisters and Christ Church parishioners Harriet Sarah and Mary Sophia Walker also contributed significantly to the funding.
The first service in the completed building was held on June 17, 1898. That Sunday, the retired Rev. Fales delivered the church's inaugural sermon from the wooden pulpit that was his gift to the new building.
The church is a parish
of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
, and was named to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1989.
, masters of American Shingle style architecture, and was constructed of native Waltham fieldstone
in the English Country
style. The inspiration for the church's stone exterior came indirectly from architect H. H. Richardson
, who was also a friend and Harvard
classmate of Robert Treat Paine, Jr. When Paine remodeled and expanded his Waltham home in 1883, it was Richardson who designed the residence that would become Stonehurst
, a Shingle style mansion built of glacial stones quarried on site from Paine's estate. Richardson died in 1886 and played no part in the planning of Christ Church, but it was his Stonehurst design that inspired Robert Treat Paine, Jr. to use the same stones from his property for the exterior of the church.
The church features several stained glass windows of significance. The east window, by Clayton and Bell
, was a gift from Robert Treat Paine, Jr. in memory of his wife, Lydia Lyman Paine, who died in 1897 during the construction of the church. At Paine's request, his wife's likeness was incorporated into the left panel of the window as a red-clad figure kneeling before Christ. The west window, designed by Charles Connick
, pays homage to Waltham's manufacturing history. In addition to images of Ruth
, Solomon
, and Noah
— all industrious figures in the Bible — the window features rivets, a bicycle wheel, a watch escapement
, a Metz car, and other symbols that reference Waltham's industrial character. Along the south wall is signed Tiffany
window depicting the Nativity
, given in memory of Frank Henry and Mary Ellen Perkins.
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
church at 750 Main Street in Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
. The church is a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
Episcopal Diocese of MassachusettsThe Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts is one of the nine original dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America....
, and was named to 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...
in 1989.
The church was founded in 1848, but a local hall was used for services until a wooden church was built in 1849. The wooden structure eventually proved inadequate and a larger church designed by Peabody and Stearns
Peabody and Stearns
Peabody & Stearns was a premier architectural firm in the Eastern United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the firm consisted of Robert Swain Peabody and John Goddard Stearns, Jr...
was built of local fieldstone
Fieldstone
Fieldstone is a building construction material. Strictly speaking, it is stone collected from the surface of fields where it occurs naturally...
at the current location between 1897 and 1898.
The church contains stained glass windows produced by several noteworthy manufacturers, including Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient workshops of English stained glass during the latter half of the 19th century. The partners were John Richard Clayton and Alfred Bell . The company was founded in 1855 and continued until 1993...
, Charles Connick
Charles Connick
Charles Jay Connick was a prominent American painter, muralist, and designer best known for his work in stained glass in the Gothic Revival style. Born in Springboro, Pennsylvania, Connick eventually settled in the Boston area where he opened his studio in 1913...
, and Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements...
. Eight rectors have served the church since its founding.
History
The community of Christ Church was founded in 1848 by Albert C. Patterson, an Episcopal clergyman and missionary who identified the growing industrial city of Waltham as an ideal place to build a church. The new Episcopal community met in Rumford Hall (later Waltham City Hall) until a Gothic wooden churchGothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
was completed on Central Street in Waltham in 1849. The land for the church and much of its funding was provided by founding member J.S. Copley Greene.
Christ Church's first rector was the Rev. Thomas F. Fales, from St. Paul's Episcopal Church
St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Brunswick, Maine)
St. Paul's Episcopal Church is a historic church at 27 Pleasant Street in Brunswick, Maine.It was built in 1845 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.-References:...
in Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, , and the...
. Fales remained the church's rector for more than 40 years, until retiring in 1890. During this time, Christ Church's membership grew from 15 members to more than 400.
At about the time Fales retired, the church outgrew the Central Street building. In 1892, the parish bought land with the intent of building a larger church at 750 Main Street. In 1895, the old church building was sold to a French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
Roman Catholic community. Christ Church held services in Waltham's Maynard Hall until the new building could be completed.
In 1896, after four years of planning, the architectural firm of Peabody and Stearns
Peabody and Stearns
Peabody & Stearns was a premier architectural firm in the Eastern United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the firm consisted of Robert Swain Peabody and John Goddard Stearns, Jr...
was hired to design the new structure and construction began in the early months of 1897. Philanthropist and Christ Church senior warden
Churchwarden
A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
Robert Treat Paine, Jr. signed the contract for construction, and financed much of the building with his own fortune. Philanthropist sisters and Christ Church parishioners Harriet Sarah and Mary Sophia Walker also contributed significantly to the funding.
The first service in the completed building was held on June 17, 1898. That Sunday, the retired Rev. Fales delivered the church's inaugural sermon from the wooden pulpit that was his gift to the new building.
The church is a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
Episcopal Diocese of MassachusettsThe Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts is one of the nine original dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America....
, and was named to 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...
in 1989.
Architecture and design
Christ Church was designed by Peabody and StearnsPeabody and Stearns
Peabody & Stearns was a premier architectural firm in the Eastern United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the firm consisted of Robert Swain Peabody and John Goddard Stearns, Jr...
, masters of American Shingle style architecture, and was constructed of native Waltham fieldstone
Fieldstone
Fieldstone is a building construction material. Strictly speaking, it is stone collected from the surface of fields where it occurs naturally...
in the English Country
English country house
The English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a London house. This allowed to them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these people, the term distinguished between town and country...
style. The inspiration for the church's stone exterior came indirectly from architect H. H. Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson was a prominent American architect who designed buildings in Albany, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and other cities. The style he popularized is named for him: Richardsonian Romanesque...
, who was also a friend and Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
classmate of Robert Treat Paine, Jr. When Paine remodeled and expanded his Waltham home in 1883, it was Richardson who designed the residence that would become Stonehurst
Robert Treat Paine Estate
The Robert Treat Paine Estate, known as Stonehurst, is a country house set on 109 acres , designed in collaboration between architect Henry Hobson Richardson and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. It is located at 100 Robert Treat Paine Drive, Waltham, Massachusetts...
, a Shingle style mansion built of glacial stones quarried on site from Paine's estate. Richardson died in 1886 and played no part in the planning of Christ Church, but it was his Stonehurst design that inspired Robert Treat Paine, Jr. to use the same stones from his property for the exterior of the church.
The church features several stained glass windows of significance. The east window, by Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient workshops of English stained glass during the latter half of the 19th century. The partners were John Richard Clayton and Alfred Bell . The company was founded in 1855 and continued until 1993...
, was a gift from Robert Treat Paine, Jr. in memory of his wife, Lydia Lyman Paine, who died in 1897 during the construction of the church. At Paine's request, his wife's likeness was incorporated into the left panel of the window as a red-clad figure kneeling before Christ. The west window, designed by Charles Connick
Charles Connick
Charles Jay Connick was a prominent American painter, muralist, and designer best known for his work in stained glass in the Gothic Revival style. Born in Springboro, Pennsylvania, Connick eventually settled in the Boston area where he opened his studio in 1913...
, pays homage to Waltham's manufacturing history. In addition to images of Ruth
Book of Ruth
The Book of Ruth is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible, Tanakh, or Old Testament. In the Jewish canon the Book of Ruth is included in the third division, or the Writings . In the Christian canon the Book of Ruth is placed between Judges and 1 Samuel...
, Solomon
Solomon
Solomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
, and Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
— all industrious figures in the Bible — the window features rivets, a bicycle wheel, a watch escapement
Escapement
In mechanical watches and clocks, an escapement is a device that transfers energy to the timekeeping element and enables counting the number of oscillations of the timekeeping element...
, a Metz car, and other symbols that reference Waltham's industrial character. Along the south wall is signed Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements...
window depicting the Nativity
Nativity of Jesus
The Nativity of Jesus, or simply The Nativity, refers to the accounts of the birth of Jesus in two of the Canonical gospels and in various apocryphal texts....
, given in memory of Frank Henry and Mary Ellen Perkins.
Rectors
The rectors of Christ Church since its founding:- The Rev. Thomas F. Fales (1849–1890)
- The Rev. Herbert Noel Cunningham (1890–1895)
- The Rev. Hubert Wetmore Wells (1896–1900)
- The Rev. Francis Ellsworth Webster (1901–1930)
- The Rev. George O. Ekwall (1930–1960)
- The Rev. John S. Kromer (1961–1970)
- The Rev. William R. Mawhinney (1971–1999)
- The Rev. Sara H. Irwin (2009–present)