Franklin Street Presbyterian Church and Parsonage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Franklin Street Presbyterian Church and Parsonage
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Franklin Street Presbyterian Church, March 2012
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 Location in Baltimore
Location in Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Location | 100 W. Franklin St. (church), 504 Cathedral St. (parsonage), Baltimore, Maryland |
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| Area | 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) |
| Built | 1847 |
| Architect | Long, Robert Cary, Jr. (church); Col. R. Snowden Andrews (parsonage) |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival, Tudor Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 71001036 |
| Added to NRHP | November 5, 1971 |
The Franklin Street Presbyterian Church and Parsonage is a very old and beautiful church building in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It's a Presbyterian church located at 100 West Franklin Street.
The church was built in 1847 and has a special style called Tudor Gothic. This means it looks like old castles or grand buildings from the Tudor period. It has two tall, eight-sided towers that are 60 feet high. These towers have cool features like battlements at the top and stained glass windows.
Next to the church is the parsonage, which is like a house for the church's minister. It was built in 1857 and matches the church's style with brick walls and battlements on its roof.
Contents
History of the Church
How the Church Started
The Franklin Street Presbyterian Church was started in 1844. A group of people from the First Presbyterian Church wanted a new church. They felt it was needed in a fast-growing part of Baltimore. This area was once part of a large country estate.
The new church was built near the Washington Monument. This famous monument was put up just two blocks away. The area around the church became known as "Cathedral Hill."
Neighbors on Cathedral Hill
The church is across the street from the old Baltimore Cathedral. This cathedral, called the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was built between 1806 and 1821. It was the very first Catholic cathedral built in America.
Later, in the 1880s, a kind person named Enoch Pratt started the Enoch Pratt Free Library. This library's main building was built nearby in the 1930s. It is now directly across Franklin Street from the church.
Church Changes Over Time
In 1973, the Franklin Street Church joined with the First Presbyterian Church again. They formed a new group called The First and Franklin Street Presbyterian Church. This new church used the First Church's building.
The Franklin Street building was later sold. It is now used by a different church group called "New Unity Church Ministries."
Nearby Historic Buildings
Across Cathedral Street, there was once a grand home built in the 1820s. It had large columns and was designed by Robert Mills. He also designed the Washington Monument.
This home later became the Maryland Club. This was a special club for gentlemen. During the Civil War in 1861, a general named Benjamin F. Butler occupied Baltimore. His troops fortified Federal Hill with cannons. He warned that he would fire if he saw any signs of rebellion.
The Maryland Club moved to a new location in 1892. The old mansion was replaced in 1907 by a building for the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). This building is now a hotel called the Hotel Indigo.
Current Use and Recognition
The Franklin Street Presbyterian Church building is no longer used by a Presbyterian group. Since the 1970s, it has been home to the New Unity Church Ministries, also known as New Unity Baptist Church.
A famous Presbyterian scholar, John Gresham Machen, attended this church when he was a child. He later founded Westminster Seminary.
The church and its parsonage were recognized as important historic places. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 5, 1971. They are also part of the Cathedral Hill Historic District and the Baltimore National Heritage Area.
See also
- First Presbyterian Church and Manse (Baltimore, Maryland), the reunited sister congregation, is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places
