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Freewill Baptist Church (New Berlin, Wisconsin)

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65: 90: 975: 261:. The congregation at Prospect Hill grew, with more families joining and with the first baptism in 1843. That same year Cheney started a school in his house for the children of members. In 1845 Cheney was recognized as pastor, though he never took payment. Not all was rosy: records show that in 1845 Cheney made visits to "delinquent" members, and the next year there was a debate about whether members should drink alcohol. Meetings were held each week in Cheney's home. 51: 986: 97: 72: 300:
Inside, the walls were originally lath and plaster. Deacon Hiram Hale was determined to have a choir loft, and paid for it himself. It stretched across the front of the building and was originally accessed by curved staircases at the corners of the building. The original church was expected to cost $
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But membership declined, with attendance under a dozen by 1895. The congregation at Prospect Hill disbanded in 1925. To maintain the building, the Ladies Aid Society was renamed the Prospect Aid Society and opened to Christians of any denomination. The building was deeded to the new society as long
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The new/old organization installed a cookstove, converted some pews to tables, and hosted dinners, quilting bees, and summer Aid meetings in the building, with proceeds going to charities. The building also served as a temporary home for other denominations. By 1985 they had dropped the clause on
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By 1886 the Freewill Church managed to hire a full-time minister and built a parsonage. The hamlet of Prospect Hill had also grown to include two general stores, two stagecoach inns, four blacksmith shops, a sawmill, a creamery, a post office, a cider mill and
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style, following the pattern of some New England churches. Typical of Greek Revival, the building is symmetric across the front, with the main entry door in the middle. On each side is a tall 9 over 9 window, and the corners of the building are trimmed with
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The congregation grew and by 1858 had raised enough money to build a church. Quincy W. Church, a member of the congregation and son of Prospect Hill's first storekeeper, designed the building in
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In 1985 a fire burned the roof, belfry and interior - a result of arson. Since then the church was restored to its old appearance, and lunches are again being served there.
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Jane Eiseley's NRHP nomination among the references is available online and has more details about people and happenings in the church's past.
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card-playing from the deed, and were holding monthly card parties, with the money raised going to building maintenance and charities.
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and New York. Rufus Cheney of New Hampshire was one of them, and in 1840 he and his wife Ruth invited two other couples to found a
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sits above that on the front. The pediment is decorated with an unusual (for Greek Revival) sunburst pattern formed from
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church, the first such church in what would become the state of Wisconsin. This denomination is a variety of
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The hamlet of Prospect Hill (now part of New Berlin) was settled in the 1830s, mostly by Yankees from
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University and college buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places
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The church has never had running water. Outside and down the hill is a small frame
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with roots in England, and Cheney came from the northern branch founded by
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List of jails and prisons on the National Register of Historic Places
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National Register of Historic Places in Waukesha County, Wisconsin
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Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Wisconsin
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rises from the roof, itself topped with a small pyramidal roof.
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as it "never be used for dancing, card-playing, or raffling."
238:, United States. It was built in 1859 and was added to the 234:) is a historic church at 19750 W. National Avenue in 426:"NRHP Inventory/Nomination: Freewill Baptist Church" 301:
1200, but Rev. Cheney and Hale added $ 300 to that.
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
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Above that, a square louvered 95: 88: 70: 63: 896:Federated States of Micronesia 542:Architectural style categories 339:, a planing mill, a school, a 311:The congregation was strongly 202: 1: 1011:Baptist churches in Wisconsin 104:Show map of the United States 19:United States historic place 424:Jane Eiseley (1996-09-25). 1052: 1016:Churches completed in 1859 948:Historic Preservation Fund 927:American Legation, Morocco 228:Prospect Aid Meeting House 968: 889:Lists by associated state 454:"Freewill Baptist Church" 201:NRHP reference  57: 48: 44: 35: 28: 24: 870:Northern Mariana Islands 193:Architectural style 165:0.5 acres (0.20 ha) 117:19750 W. 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Youmans 151:42.94444; -88.16028 142: /  321:temperance society 998: 997: 552:Historic district 221: 220: 188:Church, Quincy W. 1043: 988: 987: 978: 977: 976: 901:Marshall Islands 521: 514: 507: 498: 491: 490: 488: 487: 471: 465: 464: 462: 461: 450: 444: 439: 437: 436: 421: 396: 395: 378: 329:women's suffrage 259:Benjamin Randall 255:General Baptists 251:Freewill Baptist 204: 180: 178: 157: 156: 154: 153: 152: 147: 143: 140: 139: 138: 135: 105: 99: 98: 92: 80: 74: 73: 67: 53: 22: 1051: 1050: 1046: 1045: 1044: 1042: 1041: 1040: 1001: 1000: 999: 994: 974: 972: 964: 931: 910: 884: 843: 576: 530: 525: 495: 494: 485: 483: 473: 472: 468: 459: 457: 452: 451: 447: 434: 432: 423: 422: 399: 394:. 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Index

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Freewill Baptist Church (New Berlin, Wisconsin) is located in Wisconsin
Freewill Baptist Church (New Berlin, Wisconsin) is located in the United States
New Berlin, Wisconsin
42°56′40″N 88°9′37″W / 42.94444°N 88.16028°W / 42.94444; -88.16028
97001409
New Berlin, Wisconsin
National Register of Historic Places
New England
Freewill Baptist
General Baptists
Benjamin Randall
Greek Revival
pilasters
capitals
frieze
cornice
pediment
weatherboard
belfry
privy
abolitionist
Union Army
temperance society
Theodora W. Youmans
women's suffrage
grist mill
cobbler shop
"National Register Information System"

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