First Baptist Church of Ossining facts for kids
Quick facts for kids First Baptist Church of Ossining |
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West and south elevation, 2009
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Baptist |
| Leadership | The Rev. Dr. Gordon S. Anderson |
| Location | |
| Location | Ossining, NY, USA |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | J. Walsh |
| Architectural type | John Hoff |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1874 |
| Construction cost | $75,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | South |
| Materials | Brick, wood and slate |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Added to NRHP | January 12, 1973 |
| NRHP Reference no. | 73001288 |
| Website | |
| Historic First Baptist Church of Ossining | |
The First Baptist Church of Ossining is a historic church in Ossining, New York. It is a large brick building with a tall wooden steeple. The church was built in the 1870s and is a famous landmark in Ossining.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Later, in 1989, it became part of the Downtown Ossining Historic District. This church is the oldest religious group in Ossining. It started with prayer meetings in the late 1700s. Elijah Hunter, who founded Ossining, began these meetings in his home in 1786. In the early days, all members, including both free people and enslaved people, were treated equally in the church. The church also helped start other churches for the African-American community in the area.
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Exploring the Church Building
The church stands on a triangular piece of land. This land is where Ossining village first began. It is located near Main Street, Church Street, and South Highland Avenue (which is U.S. Route 9). The area around the church has other historic buildings. The Old Croton Aqueduct trail, a famous landmark, crosses Main Street nearby. Ossining High School is also a short distance away.
Outside the Church
A low iron fence surrounds the church property. Tall trees provide shade on one side. The church building is made of brick and has a stone foundation. Its roofs are steep and covered with slate tiles. There are four small, gabled windows called dormer windows on each side of the roof.
On the front of the church, there is a tall steeple where the main entrance is. The front also has a large, five-part stained glass window. This window has special designs called quatrefoils, which are a main decoration on the church. These designs look like four-leaf clovers.
The church has several other windows, some with similar designs. There are also buttresses, which are strong supports, along the sides. The roof dormers also feature the quatrefoil design.
The back of the church has large, arched sections with crosses. There are also various windows, some with diamond-shaped glass.
The Tall Steeple
The steeple has four main sections. The first section has strong corner supports. Above the main entrance, there is a quatrefoil design. The next section has narrow, arched windows on each side. These windows have diamond-shaped glass.
Higher up, the steeple has two louvered vents on each side. These vents are now made of painted metal. The very top of the steeple has a small Celtic cross.
Inside the Church
You enter the church through a heavy wooden double door. Inside, the sanctuary (the main worship area) has beautiful carved woodwork. The walls are made of plaster. There is a wide central aisle that separates the pews (church benches). The ends of the pews have a three-leaf clover design.
The ceiling is supported by round wooden columns. Smaller columns hold up a balcony at the back of the church. There is also a balcony with the church's pipe organ above the altar. The altar area is raised about 5 feet (1.5 meters) off the floor. Behind the altar is a large white marble baptistry, which is about 8 by 10 feet (2.4 by 3 meters).
The rooms in the basement are used for Sunday school classes for children. They are also used for meetings and office space.
Church History
Elijah Hunter, who helped found Ossining, started holding Baptist prayer meetings in his home in 1786. These meetings grew quickly. Four years later, in 1790, 33 people officially formed the church. They met in homes until Hunter gave them land for a small meeting house in 1815.
In the early years, both enslaved people and their masters attended services. Everyone was considered a full member of the church and treated equally. The original church building was changed in 1834 and again in 1850. At first, the church did not have a place for baptisms. So, baptisms took place in a small area of the Hudson River near where the train station is now. In 1865, the white marble baptistry you see today was installed.
By the mid-1800s, the church was getting too small. The members decided to build a new one. The new church was designed by architect J. Walsh from Brooklyn. It was built in the Gothic Revival style. The triangles and quatrefoils in the design represent the Trinity and the four Gospels. The church was finished in 1874 and cost $75,000. Local builder John Hoff constructed it. The church was paid for entirely by donations from its members.
Later in the 1800s, the church continued to support the local African-American community. In 1890, an African-American minister asked for the church's help to start a Black Baptist Church in the village. First Baptist Church and its members helped. This led to the creation of Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church, which is still active today.
In 1916, electricity was added to the church. Nearly a century later, after its 200th anniversary, the church was able to restore all its original stained glass windows. The building has not had many other major changes since then.
The Church Today
Ossining First Baptist Church follows traditional Baptist beliefs. Their website states that "The Bible is the inspired and only infallible Word of God and our rule and guide for Faith, Life and Doctrine." This means they believe in the Trinity (God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and that Jesus Christ is divine. They also believe in salvation through "repentance and faith in the blood of Christ alone."
The church holds Sunday school classes for adults and children every Sunday. Communion is held on the first Sunday of each month. Services are shown on local cable TV channels. You can also watch them online through streaming video.
During the week, there are groups for men and women. There are also Bible study groups. The church also runs a thrift shop. To help the growing Latin immigrant population in the area, two Spanish-language services are held every week.
See also
