Clarendon Street Baptist Church facts for kids
The Clarendon Street Baptist Church was a church building in Boston, Massachusetts. It was built between 1868 and 1869. The church closed in 1982 after a big fire damaged its building. The church group itself started much earlier, in 1827. Before moving to Clarendon Street, it was known as the Federal Street Baptist Church and then the Rowe Street Baptist Church.
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A Church's Journey: From Federal Street to Clarendon Street
The church group moved locations several times over its history. Each move was often because the neighborhood around the church was changing.
Starting on Federal Street
The church group first began on Federal Street in Boston in 1827. This was near Milk Street. The first pastor, or leader, was Howard Malcom. He later became the president of several colleges. By 1844, the area around Federal Street was becoming a busy business district. Fewer people lived there, so the church decided to move to a new spot.
The Rowe Street Church
The church's new home was at the corner of Chauncy Street and Bedford Street. On April 27, 1846, they laid the first stone for the new church building. It was made of dark-red sandstone. The building was designed in the Gothic style, which often features tall arches and pointed spires. It had a corner tower and a very tall spire, about 175 feet high. Inside, the church was finished with dark black walnut wood. The building was officially opened on April 7, 1847. The church group then called itself the "Rowe Street Baptist Society." In 1856, Rowe Street became part of Chauncy Street.
Reverend Baron Stow became the church's pastor on November 1, 1848. He had previously led another church in Boston. By 1853, the church had 275 members. More than 400 students attended its Sunday school.
As the area around this second church also became more focused on businesses, the church building was sold in 1868. The Rowe Street building was taken down. Some of its materials were used to build a chapel in Auburndale, Massachusetts, in 1880.
The Final Home: Clarendon Street
The church moved to its final location in 1869. This new spot was at the corner of Clarendon Street and Montgomery Street. The new church building was designed by an architect named Samuel J. F. Thayer. Adoniram Judson Gordon became the pastor in the same year. Pastor Gordon later founded the Boston Missionary Training School in 1889. Today, this school is known as Gordon College.
The Clarendon Street Baptist Church closed its doors in 1982. This happened after a fire badly damaged its building. In 1987, the building was rebuilt and turned into apartments.
