First Baptist Church (Framingham, Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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First Baptist Church
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Framingham, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1826, 1881 |
| Architect | Hartwell and Richardson |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000642 |
| Added to NRHP | April 9, 1980 |
The First Baptist Church is a very old and important church building. It is located at 1013 Worcester Road in Framingham, Massachusetts. This church is a Baptist church, which is a type of Christian church.
Contents
History of the First Baptist Church
The building of the First Baptist Church started a long time ago. Its first stone was placed in 1826. The very first church services happened on January 1, 1827. Reverend Charles Train led these first services.
Early Building Changes
When the church was first built, the basement was open. Horses could stay there to keep dry during services. Around 1881, the church floor was raised. This made the basement a closed-in area.
Later, around 1888, more rooms were added. A four-room addition was built on the back of the church. A special area for baptisms was also added near the altar.
Modern Updates and Original Features
The church building looks much like it did when it was first built. Some big updates were made around 1998. These changes helped make the building easy for everyone to use. For example, it became accessible for people with disabilities.
The original seats in the church were box pews. These were replaced with curved, padded seats in the late 1800s. However, you can still see the original box pews in the balcony area.
Joining of Two Churches
In 1854, some members left the First Baptist Church. They started a new church in South Framingham. This new church was first called South Framingham Baptist Church. Later, its name changed to Park Street Baptist Church.
Major updates were done to the First Baptist Church in 1881. Many years later, in 1998, both churches had fewer members. So, the members of First Baptist Church and Park Street Baptist Church started worshiping together.
In 2002, the members of Park Street Baptist Church officially rejoined. They became one church again with the First Baptist Church. Now, they are known as the First Baptist Church in Framingham.
National Recognition
The church building is very important because of its history. In 1980, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes places that are important to the history of the United States.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Framingham, Massachusetts
- List of places of worship in Framingham, Massachusetts
