• Treasured presence and focus in Cleary Squareneighborhood
• Lack of leadership and funds contribute to current state of disrepair
Historic Boston Incorporated 1999 Preservation Revolving Fund Casebook : Property
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Click here for Summer 2002 Update
| Christ Church of Hyde Park | Hyde Park |
| • Ralph Adams Cram
Gothic village parish church in serious need of repair • Treasured presence and focus in Cleary Squareneighborhood • Lack of leadership and funds contribute to current state of disrepair |
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| Name: Christ Church of Hyde Park | Bldg SqFt: 16,000 | Lot SqFt: 26,000 | |
| Address: 1220 River Street | Ward: 18 | Parcel: 9134 | |
| Neighborhood: Hyde Park | Zoning: General Business (B-1) | ||
| Year Built: 1861 (parish hall) 1893-1894 (church) 1920 (sacristy) |
Use: Used by owner for worship; some space shared for day care | ||
| Style: Late Gothic Revival | Condition: Fair | ||
| Architect(s): Ralph Adams Cram | Owner: Parish of Christ Church, Hyde Park 1220 River Street Hyde Park, MA 02136 |
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| Historic Certification: National Register listed | |||
| FY99 Building Assessment: N/A FY02 Building Assessment: N/A |
FY99 Tax: N/A FY02 Tax: N/A |
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| FY99 Land Assessment: N/A FY02 Land Assessment: N/A |
Tax Status: Exempt | ||
Preservation Strategy:
Work with current and future leadership to translate the comprehensive assessment (for which HBI awarded a Steeples Project grant) into a realistic action plan.
Significance:
Christ Church is a focal point in Cleary Square, a gothic form evocative of a village parish which fits so well in its setting. From 1861 to 1892, Christ Church of Hyde Park (founded in 1860) worshiped in a wood frame Gothic Revival church on River Street. As the population of Hyde Park grew, so did membership at Christ Church. The parish decided to build a larger church on the same site. In 1892 they moved the old church to the back of the lot, where it served as a parish house and chapel, and where it still stands today. Though there were plans for a tower in the new structure, it was never built. In 1913 architects Cram and Ferguson altered and enlarged the old church building and connected it to the newer church, while retaining the original fabric of the central hall. Christ Church has an impressive collection of stained glass which was installed between 1895 and 1945 and includes windows by Harry E. Goodhue of Cambridge, the London firm Powell & Sons (later Whitefriars Glass Works), and the Boston studio of Reynolds, Francis and Rohnstock.
Preservation Challenges:
Until leadership emerges with the time, skills, and commitment to plan and manage a capital repairs program, Christ Church will continue to suffer from neglected maintenance issues first profiled in the 1991 Casebook. Deteriorated or missing copper flashing, gutters, downspouts, mortar and stonework must be addressed immediately before repair costs escalate further. The church did not receive a Round V MPPF grant presumably because of lack of both matching funds and a track record in managing complex projects.
Neighborhood Context:
Cleary Square is Hyde Park's major commercial center. The Boston Main Street Program defines the area as a village. There are frequent buses to stops on the Red, Orange, and Green lines. The Hyde Park and Fairmount Commuter Rail Stations are both only a few blocks away.
Other Sources of Information:
Religious Properties Preservation: A Boston Casebook (HBI, 1991)
Entry Completed: 05/21/1999
The strong leadership that has emerged from within
the church has spearheaded the ongoing exterior restoration of Christ Church. A Davies
& Bibbins, Architects' Building Envelope Conditions Report, funded in part by a
Historic Boston Steeples grant, estimated exterior restoration costs at $348,000 in 2000.
Although a very large amount for a small neighborhood parish, the leadership's
perseverance and the combination of a variety of funding over the past four years has
yielded dramatic results. Funding sources include:
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The stucco and roof drainage system have been repaired, several stained glass windows restored, and architecturally inappropriate modifications removed. The masonry is now being repointed and side entrance doors restored.
Update Entry Completed: 08/08/2002
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