Monmouth Baptist Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Monmouth Baptist Church |
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The church
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| 51°48′47.6″N 2°42′39.9″W / 51.813222°N 2.711083°W | |
| Location | Monmouth, Monmouthshire |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Baptist |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Benjamin Lawrence |
| Years built | 1906-07 |
Monmouth Baptist Church is a special building located in Monk Street, a street in the town of Monmouth in south east Wales. The church building opened its doors in 1907. However, the group of people who follow the Baptist faith had actually started meeting much earlier, in 1818. Because of its history and design, the church was officially recognized as a Grade II listed building on October 27, 1998. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.
History of the Church
The Baptist group in Monmouth first came together in 1818. This happened after several ministers, who are leaders from other Baptist churches, visited the town and shared their beliefs.
Early Meeting Places
The first place the church members met was a small building located just off Monnow Street. In 1831, the church welcomed its first pastor, who is like a main teacher and leader for the group. The original meeting spot was made bigger in 1836 to become a proper chapel. Sadly, this old building later fell into disrepair and was eventually taken down. A car park for a supermarket now stands where it used to be.
Building the New Church
In 1906, work began on a brand new church building in Monk Street. The church was finished and opened its doors the very next year, in 1907. The person who designed this beautiful building was an architect named Benjamin Lawrence from Newport.
He designed the church in a style called Victorian Gothic. This style often includes pointed arches, tall windows, and decorative stone work. It was similar to another building he had designed right next door in 1867, which was the Working Men's Institute (now an art gallery). The church is built using a type of stone called Old Red Sandstone, and it has special decorations made from Bath Stone. The colorful stained glass windows in the church's entrance area were added later, in 1964.
