First Baptist Church of Tarrytown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids First Baptist Church of Tarrytown |
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West elevation, 2009
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Baptist |
| Leadership | Pastor Nathan Norman |
| Year consecrated | 1881 |
| Location | |
| Location | Tarrytown, NY, USA |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Russell Sturgis |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1875 |
| Completed | 1881 |
| Construction cost | $10,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | West |
| Width | 75 feet (23 m) |
| Spire(s) | 1 |
| Spire height | 125 feet (38 m) |
| Materials | Bluestone, brownstone, slate, wood, metal |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Added to NRHP | July 21, 1983 |
| NRHP Reference no. | 83001829 |
| Website | |
| First Baptist Church of Tarrytown | |
The First Baptist Church of Tarrytown is an old stone church in Tarrytown, United States. It was built in the 1870s in a style called Victorian Gothic. This means it looks a bit like medieval castles and cathedrals. In 1983, the church and its nearby house (called a rectory) were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes important historical buildings in the U.S.
People started meeting for church services in the 1840s. The first church building on this spot was put up in 1847. About 25 years later, a famous architect named Russell Sturgis designed the church you see today. It took five years to build, finishing in 1881. The church became a symbol of Tarrytown growing into a fancy suburb. This was especially true after John D. Rockefeller, a very rich businessman, and his family moved to the village and joined the church. They helped pay for many improvements, like the church's gardens and the rectory.
Contents
What the Church Looks Like
The First Baptist Church is on a corner in Tarrytown, near other buildings and homes. It's across the street from another old church, Christ Episcopal Church. The area has a mix of shops, offices, and houses. The ground slopes down towards the Hudson River.
Outside the Church
The church is made of a type of stone called bluestone, with brown stone (called brownstone) used for decoration. It has a pointed roof covered with slate tiles. The main part of the church is wide on one side and long on the others. A tall tower stands at one corner.
At the front of the church, there's a small covered entryway with stone columns and arches. This is where people enter. Next to it is a tall, narrow window. Above the entrance, there's a large round window with a beautiful design, called a rose window. A tall chimney rises from the side of the church.
The back of the church has four windows. There are also smaller sections with plain glass windows. On the north side, there's a porch with tall, thin columns that have leaf-like designs at the top.
The church tower has four main parts. The bottom part is square with a window. The next part has no windows. Then, the tower becomes eight-sided, with narrow windows. The top part is very tall and has more windows. On top of the tower is a thin, pointed spire covered in slate. It has four small dormer windows (windows that stick out from the roof) and is topped with a copper decoration and a cross. The spire is about 125 feet (38 meters) tall!
Inside the Church
The inside of the church uses a lot of dark wood, especially Honduran mahogany. This wood is carved with many detailed Gothic designs. In the main worship area, called the sanctuary, the wood is used for the lower walls, the exposed ceiling beams, and around the organ. The stand where the preacher speaks (the lectern) and the pulpit (another stand for reading) are original, as are the wooden benches (called pews) where people sit.
Look up, and you'll see a painted border along the ceiling line. There are also large yellow sunflower designs between the ceiling beams. A wooden screen at the back of the church was added later. It has stained glass panels and a clock at the top.
The entrance to the tower from outside is now closed. You can get into the tower from inside the church, through the entrance hall (called the narthex). This space is used for storage. It still has its original wooden floor and an old gas chandelier (a fancy light fixture) made of brass and frosted glass.
North of the main worship area is a room that was originally called the lecture hall. It has dark wooden walls and sliding doors. The ceiling here has golden oak beams that curve and meet in the middle with a decorative piece.
The Rectory (Pastor's House)
The rectory, where the pastor lives, is south of the church. It's a two-story brick house with wooden trim and granite details. It has a sloped roof covered in red slate tiles. Each side of the roof has a rounded dormer window.
A raised porch with a slate roof stretches across the front of the house. Another porch is on the north side. Both porches are supported by thin columns. The house also has other classical decorations, like fancy trim under the roof and decorated carvings. Inside, the first floor has two fireplaces made of Italian marble and much of its original woodwork.
Behind the rectory is a small garage, which was added later. It's not considered part of the historic building. The church grounds also have a large horse chestnut tree and pathways made of the same brick as the rectory.
Church History
The First Baptist Church of Tarrytown has a long history, going back to the mid-1800s.
Early Years (1840s–1873)
In the 1840s, Tarrytown was growing. People who were Baptists had to travel about 10 miles north to a church in Ossining. So, in 1843, a local group of Baptists decided to start their own church. They called it Beekman Baptist Church.
The next year, they hired a minister and rented a building. They soon faced money problems, so a local Methodist minister let them use his church. Later that year, they bought land and built their first church for $3,000. They renamed it the First Baptist Church of Tarrytown.
The church grew quickly. Six years after it started, it had 60 members. A religious revival in 1857, led by a pastor named William Wines (who was against slavery), helped the church grow even more. By the end of the American Civil War nine years later, it had 172 members!
After a time without a pastor, David Reeves, a veteran of the Confederate Army, walked all the way from Alabama to become the pastor in 1867. The old church building was too small for the growing number of people. After Reeves left in 1870, the church members started planning a new, bigger building. They bought the land where the current church stands before Dr. George Stone became pastor in 1873.
Building the New Church (1873–1900)
By 1873, a committee had been formed to raise money for the new church. Russell Sturgis, the architect, was chosen to design it. He was very busy at the time, having designed buildings for Yale University. Sturgis believed buildings should be simple, strong, and show their purpose.
Building started in 1874, but there were delays because of money problems from a banking crisis in 1873. Sturgis planned the building in stages over five years. By the summer of 1875, enough of the foundation and walls were built for a special ceremony to lay the cornerstone.
Church meetings began in the new building a year later. By the end of 1876, the church caretaker (called a sexton) had moved in. Construction on the spire (the tall, pointed top of the tower) began then. The total cost of building the church was $100,000 when it was officially opened in 1881. Originally, the inside walls were completely covered with painted designs, but today only the sunflower bands on the ceiling remain.
At that time, the First Baptist Church was very noticeable in Tarrytown. Broadway, the main road, was not even paved yet! The church showed that Tarrytown was becoming a popular place for wealthy people to live, away from the city. Its Gothic style fit well with the Hudson River, which was sometimes called "America's Rhine" because of its beauty. In 1888, the church got its pipe organ.
Tarrytown became even more famous when John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil and one of the richest people ever, built his huge estate called Kykuit north of Tarrytown. The Rockefellers were very religious Baptists.
They joined the First Baptist Church, and their support helped the church a lot. The rectory was built in 1896 thanks to Almira Geraldine Goodsell, who was the wife of William Rockefeller, John's younger brother. Other gifts from the family helped the church's spiritual work and made the building look even better. Around 1900, John D. Rockefeller himself paid for the church's beautiful landscaping.
Changes Over Time (1900–Present)
In the early 1910s, the church's lighting was changed from gas to electricity. Some of the old gas pipes are still there, and an original gas light fixture still hangs in the base of the tower, though it's not used. In 1936, an electric organ replaced the old pipe organ.
The painted designs on the interior walls were painted over in the 1950s, except for the sunflower bands on the ceiling, which were too hard to reach. At that time, the rectory was also updated. The rooms on the first floor became Sunday school classrooms and offices, and the second floor became the pastor's apartment.
The wooden screen that creates the entrance area in the church sanctuary was brought from another church at some point. It has a more classical look, which is different from the Gothic style of the rest of the church. Two of its eight stained glass windows are thought to be Tiffany glass, which is very special.
What the Church Believes
The First Baptist Church believes that the Bible is the most important guide for life. They believe in the Holy Trinity (God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and that Jesus Christ is divine (part of God). They teach that "all people are sinners by nature and by choice." They also believe that "salvation" (being saved) comes only through faith in Jesus Christ's death. This means they believe you can't earn salvation through good actions.
The church sees itself as part of the larger Christian church around the world, but also as a local group. It is made up of people who believe in Jesus and have been baptized. They come together to worship. The church believes Jesus gave two main practices to churches: the Last Supper (Communion) and baptism by immersion (being fully dipped in water). They also believe in the separation of church and state, meaning the church should be independent from the government.
Programs and Activities
Besides Sunday services, the church has several programs and groups. They have a hospitality team, doorkeepers, and a nursery to help during services. There are also youth and children's ministries that teach Sunday school and special Bible study classes for young people. They also have groups for men and women.
A missions committee organizes activities to support Christian work in other places, from New York City and Montreal to Argentina and Japan. Other local programs help people in a local nursing home and support foreign students at the EF International Academy nearby.
See also
