White Church of Blandford

The White Church of Blandford was built in 1822. It sits high on a hill in Blandford, Massachusetts, a New England town settled in 1732.

This historic building is owned and operated by the Historical Society of Blandford and is maintained by community volunteers. It is open by appointment in the summer and is a beautiful setting for weddings and concerts.

Everyone is Welcome.

June 12, 1822, the Corner Stone of the new Blandford Meetinghouse was laid by Captain Isaac Damon, of Northampton, the principal architect.  Raising the frame commenced on Monday the 17th and finished on the 19th.  During the process the ropes got twisted on the gin pole, and the sailors hired for the task could do nothing.  John Collester, Blandford born and bred, climbed up and was able to straighten the ropes.  The chiseled stones of the foundation were cut from quarries in Chester and the large beams came from Otis.  In a few short months this magnificent building was completed and on October 30, 1822 the New Meetinghouse was dedicated with prayers and scriptures by Dorus Clark.

The White Church of Blandford represents a new architectural form that developed after the Revolution.  Meetinghouses of the early 18th century had been entered on their long axis. Transitional between the earlier form and the White Church of Blandford, the entry shifted to the gable end but kept the entry tower, often with a steeple, as in Blandford’s first Meetinghouse.

Visit us at thewhitechurch.org