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about ::   |
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Our HistoryOur BeginningIn 1841, mill workers and household servants in the fifth ward began to meet for worship in private homes. Eventually, this led to the purchase of a building formerly used by a Free Will Baptist congregation. The new congregation became known as Emmanuel Free Church because members were not required to pay pew rent to secure a place at worship. The cornerstone of Emmanuel’s first new building was laid on July 28, 1855 on the site of the current church. Some founding members were stone carver John Howard Benson, William S. Wetmore, Judge Darius Baker, and Marcus F. Wheatland, Jr. A noted philanthropist, John Nicholas Brown, Sr., was a very active member. While in New York, Mr. Brown contracted typhoid fever and died very unexpectedly on May 1, 1900, leaving a young wife, Natalie Bayard Brown and ten week old son, John Nicholas Brown, Jr. As a memorial to her husband, Natalie wanted to provide a new church to take the place of the wooden building that was in disrepair. The original church building was moved across the street to the corner of South Baptist and Spring Streets in April 1901, and subsequently was sold. For a time, Emmanuel’s parishioners worshipped in Kay Chapel (then part of Trinity Church), and at the Thames Street Methodist Church (now St. Spyridon’s Greek Orthodox Church). Emmanuel’s current building was consecrated on June 3, 1902. In 1922 Emmanuel was known as “the Church of the people of Newport, where rich and poor, high and low, great and humble all worship and work together as friends.” The people of Emmanuel Church believe that this remains true today! Our Church Designed by Ralph Adams Cram, our present building is styled after fifteenth century Gothic Revival churches. The four-story tower was designed to house two bells, one just over three tons and the other approximately 1,000 pounds. Whitechapel Foundry in London, England made both. In existence since 1570, Whitechapel is famous for the casting of the original Liberty Bell (with the crack!), Big Ben, and the bells of Westminster Abbey. The bells are used to this day, particularly at the conclusion of wedding celebrations. Wooden “poppy heads” (faces) surround the chancel and choir, representing young and old, joyful and sad, blind and seeing, healthy and handicapped. The carved wood of the reredos and the wall murals are peace memorials given in 1921 in honor of the 90 men and boys from Emmanuel who served in the First World War. The sanctuary has unique floor tiles of dragons, pinwheels, and a prayer written by a thirteenth century bishop. A bronze angel with hands clasped in prayer has wings outspread to hold a bookstand for the open Bible. It was exhibited at the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1893. The beautiful east window above the altar shows twenty-two events in the life of Christ, while other windows show saints, teachers and theologians, and stories from the Bible. One window, depicting a pair of white crosses, is from the old wooden church. In 1996, Emmanuel’s buildings were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. |
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