Pillars & Foundations

North Church, UCC, Portsmouth, New Hampshire I stumbled into a visit to this gorgeous quintessential New England church on one of several visits to Portsmouth in the 2019 summer. The church had open doors, something that is unfortunately rare in the U.S., however because Portsmouth draws a considerable amount of foot traffic, perhaps it was feasible.  History:  This parish has a long history in the region and their website takes tome time to give a high level review. With a timeline stretching back to 1641, the current building was constructed in 1855. Of particular interest, George Washington was said to have worshiped with the Parish during visits to Portsmouth. An architectural firm of Towle and Foster , based out of Boston designed the building. John D. Towle specialized in churches but also designed a couple of notable homes, most of which are scattered across the New England region. Contributions of North Church:  When visiting churches I ...

Old South Church, Boston, Massachusetts: New Year's 2019 Organ Concert Pillars & Foundations documents an exploration of communities, as well as faith through religious institutions. My intent is to share experiences, and spread the positivity that I observe.  Building & History At the time of my visit, and writing of this post, the Old South Church Congregation is celebrating it's 350th anniversary! Many noteworthy historical figures have been congregants at Old South, including Benjamin Franklin who was baptized there, and Samuel Adams who once held Tea Party meetings in the earliest meeting house. Old South's website notes that the newest structure which is pictured was built in 1875 during the Gilded Age, and it is evident. It describes the architecture as Northern Italian Ruskinian Gothic. I definitely can see similarities in the eaves to some churches I've visited in Italy. If my photos (often blurry on the exterior- I don't get to Back Bay ...

Annual Pumpkin Sale, First Congregational Church, UCC, Saugus, MA Pillars & Foundations documents an exploration of communities, as well as faith through religious institutions. My intent is to share experiences, and spread the positivity that I observe. The hope is to provide a window into these organizations allowing those who might not other wise venture in to appreciate these thoughtful, often intimate groups in our midst. Faith centers embody a drive to make a difference which they deliver upon, regardless if it is with one person looking for hope & community, or a recipient of their expansive charitable work. 16th Annual Pumpkin Patch I visited FCC of Saugus ( See my post write-up here ) a few weeks ago and have been anxiously awaiting this pumpkin sale which benefits a non-profit organization that provides services/employment to Native Americans. Additionally funds from this sale have been used in the past to raise money for the Danny Panico Memorial Scholarships...

First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Saugus, MA Pillars & Foundations documents an exploration of communities, as well as faith through religious institutions. My intent is to share experiences, and spread the positivity that I observe. The hope is to provide a window into these organizations allowing those who might not other wise venture in to appreciate these thoughtful, often intimate groups in our midst. Faith centers embody a drive to make a difference which they deliver upon, regardless if it is with one person looking for hope & community, or a recipient of their expansive charitable work. Building & History First Congregational of Saugus sits right in the center of town on a busy rotary. Despite its bustle, Saugus's town center is quintessential New England charm, and this church fits in to the fabric nicely. The modern extension is built onto a recently restored older wooden structure which now serves William Sutton Masonic lodge , ...

High St. Congregational Church, Auburn, Maine Pillars & Foundations was started as an effort to explore my surrounding communities through their religious institutions, and to share my experiences. What all of these institutions share in common is a drive to make a difference, and they do, regardless if it is with one person looking for hope & community, or a recipient of their charitable work. While the sanctuary may only be just over 30 years old, the traditional white-washed accents of an older Congregational Church, along with the beautiful stained glass windows with names of historical benefactors, such as Edward Little provide great character to this old church's new building This post is another focused on my home communities of Lewiston and Auburn (I'm from Sabattus), as I recently traveled there from my current home in Massachusetts to visit with family.  The History of High St. Congregational Church The first thing I remember about High St. Congr...