Built 1809 Designated CP February 10, 1984 Phone +1 401-331-9844 | NRHP Reference # 72000035 Opened 1809 Added to NRHP 13 January 1972 | |
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Part of Downtown Providence Historic District (#84001967) Address 300 Weybosset St, Providence, RI 02903, USA Similar First Universalist Church, Grace Church, Cathedral of Saints Peter and, Governor Stephen Hopkins, All Saints Memorial Church Profiles | ||
The Beneficent Congregational Church is a United Church of Christ congregation of Congregationalist heritage at 300 Weybosset Street in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. The congregation was founded in 1743 during the "First Great Awakening".
Architectural style
The current church building is a brick Greek Revival structure which features a prominent dome. The structure was built in 1810 and substantially altered in 1836 to a design by Tallman & Bucklin, giving it its present form. This work was funded with a $30,000 donation from textile entrepreneur Henry J. Steere in honor of his father, Jonah Steere. Beneficent has active ministries working with the homeless in the city and around the world.
Beneficent Congregational Church is open for Sunday services and the building is located at 300 Weybosset Street in Providence.
The church bears a striking similarity in style to the Massachusetts State House in Boston, designed by Charles Bulfinch. Prior to about 2007, the church's dome was covered on gold leaf which gave it a distinctive appearance. Due to weather damage to the gold leaf, the congregation voted in 1987 to replace the roof with more durable copper sheeting as part of a larger renovation project. This copper sheeting gives the dome its current green patina.