Misplaced Pages

Union Chapel
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Union Chapel
Show map of MassachusettsShow map of the United States
Location	Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts
Coordinates	41°27′16″N 70°33′31″W / 41.45444°N 70.55861°W / 41.45444; -70.55861
Built	1870
Architect	Samuel Freeman Pratt
Architectural style	Stick/Eastlake, Octagon Mode
NRHP reference No.	90000677
Added to NRHP	June 7, 1990

Union Chapel (or the Oak Bluffs Christian Union Chapel) is an historic octagon-shaped church building in Oak Bluffs, on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The church was built in 1870 as a non-sectarian worship space in an area dominated by the Methodist summer camp meeting known as Wesleyan Grove. Acquired in 2002 by the nonprofit Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust, the building continues to be used for nonsectarian religious services, and also serves as a community center and performing arts space.

History

The area now called Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts on the island of Martha's Vineyard began to develop in the 1830s with the establishment of a Methodist summer camp meeting which became known as Wesleyan Grove. The popularity of the camp prompted the formation of the Oak Bluffs Land and Wharf Company to develop areas adjacent to the camp as a resort area.

The chapel was built in 1870 as a non-denominational house of worship for vacationers who were not Methodist. The church, an eight-sided structure with an open internal plan, was designed by local architect Samuel Freeman Pratt, whose work for the Company included its headquarters building.

The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 7, 1990. In 2002 the building was acquired by the Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust. The building continues to be used for services on a seasonal basis, and is also used for community events and as a performing arts space.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Dukes County, Massachusetts
• List of octagonal buildings and structures in the United States

References

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
2. "MACRIS inventory record for Union Chapel". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2013-11-27.
3. "Union Chapel". Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust. Retrieved 2013-11-27.

External links

• Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust homepage for Union Chapel

v t e U.S. National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Topics	Contributing property Keeper of the Register Historic district History of the National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Property types
Lists by county	Barnstable Berkshire Bristol Dukes Essex Franklin Hampden Hampshire Middlesex Nantucket Norfolk Plymouth Suffolk Worcester (northern)
Lists by city	Barnstable County Barnstable Harwich Bristol County Fall River New Bedford Taunton Essex County Andover Gloucester Ipswich Lawrence Lynn Methuen Salem Hampden County Springfield Middlesex County Arlington Cambridge Concord Framingham Lexington Lowell Marlborough Medford Newton Reading Sherborn Somerville Stoneham Wakefield Waltham Weston Winchester Norfolk County Brookline Milton Quincy Suffolk County Boston northern southern Worcester County Southbridge Uxbridge Worcester eastern northwestern southwestern
Other lists	Bridges Cape Cod National Seashore National Historic Landmarks Boston
Category National Register of Historic Places portal United States portal

• Buildings and structures in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts
• Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
• National Register of Historic Places in Dukes County, Massachusetts
• Chapels in the United States
• Octagonal churches in the United States
• 1870 establishments in Massachusetts