First Baptist Church (Saint Paul, Minnesota) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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First Baptist Church of St. Paul
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First Baptist Church from the east
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 499 Wacouta Street Saint Paul, Minnesota |
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| Built | 1875 |
| Built by | Monroe & Romaine Sheire |
| Architect | William W. Boyington |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 83000929 |
| Added to NRHP | February 24, 1983 |
The First Baptist Church of St. Paul is a historic church building in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is a very old and important place. When it first opened on May 31, 1875, it was the biggest and most expensive church in Saint Paul. People at the time described it as "the finest piece of architecture west of Chicago."
The church once had a very tall steeple, which was about 145 feet high. However, this original steeple was removed in 1945. Its stone base was sinking into the soft ground. This caused stress on the rest of the building. A new, shorter steeple was built in its place. This new steeple did not have the bell tower or clock that the first one had.
The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. This means it is recognized as a special historical site.
Church History
Starting a Sunday School
The story of this church began in 1847. A woman named Harriet Bishop started a Sunday school in the St. Paul area. She came from Vermont because she heard there were about thirty children who had no school or teacher. At first, the school was in an old blacksmith shop. Harriet Bishop described it as a "mud-walled log hovel." Later, a new schoolhouse was built on Jackson Street.
Forming the Church
On February 8, 1849, Reverend John Parsons came to St. Paul as a missionary. He started preaching in the new schoolhouse. On December 29, 1849, the church officially formed its congregation. They quickly made plans to build their own church. This first church was planned for a place called "Baptist Hill." This area is now part of Mears Park.
Challenges and New Beginnings
The church needed more money than they could raise locally. So, Reverend Parsons traveled east to New York in 1851 to ask for donations. Sadly, he was robbed in New York City and lost all $2,300 he had collected. He spent some time recovering from his injuries. Then, he started his journey back to St. Paul. Unfortunately, he passed away on a riverboat north of St. Louis, Missouri. His funeral was the very first service held in the newly built church. This church was built using loans, as they expected Parsons' funds to arrive.
In 1857, Baptist Hill was leveled to match the surrounding area. This left the small church building about 20 feet above the ground. The congregation then looked for a new location. They built a second church on Wacouta Street, which opened on January 1, 1862. This was a larger stone building. However, the community was growing very fast. Soon, they needed an even bigger church. William W. Boyington, an architect from Chicago, was hired to design a new building. This third and current church was built nearby, at the corner of Ninth and Wacouta.
