Baptist Society Meeting House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Baptist Society Meeting House
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 3–5 Brattle St., Arlington, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1790 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| MPS | Arlington MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 85001023 |
| Added to NRHP | April 18, 1985 |
The Baptist Society Meeting House is a very old building in Arlington, Massachusetts. It used to be a church for the Baptist community. Built in 1790, it is the oldest church building still standing in Arlington. Today, people live in it as a home. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
Contents
About This Historic Building
The former Baptist Society Meeting House is located on Brattle Street in Arlington. It stands between the town center and Arlington Heights. This building is made of wood and has three and a half stories. It has a pointed roof and two chimneys inside. The outside is covered with horizontal wooden boards called clapboards.
What the Building Looks Like
The front of the building is symmetrical, meaning both sides look the same. It has five sections across and four sections deep. In the middle of the front, there is a double entrance. A small porch with square posts covers this entrance. The windows on the first two floors are regular sash windows. The windows on the third floor are a bit smaller.
A Look Back at Its History
The Baptist Society in Arlington started in 1780. This group was the first to separate from the main Congregational church in town. Before this building was ready, the Baptist community met in different private homes. One of these places was the Capt. Benjamin Locke House.
The church building was finished in 1790. The Baptist congregation used it until 1828. Then, they sold the building to private owners. The congregation later moved to Arlington's First Baptist Church.
The design of this building was inspired by older meeting houses. These older buildings were in nearby towns like Lexington and Concord. You can see these older buildings in pictures from the early 1700s. These pictures show the time when the American Revolutionary War began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
Originally, the Baptist Society Meeting House faced Massachusetts Avenue. But in 1913, the building was moved further back on its lot. It was also turned to face Brattle Street instead.
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