North Taunton Baptist Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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North Taunton Baptist Church
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Taunton, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1837 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| MPS | Taunton MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 84002188 |
| Added to NRHP | July 5, 1984 |
The North Taunton Baptist Church is a very old and important church building in Taunton, Massachusetts. It is a Baptist church that was built a long time ago, in 1837. At that time, the area around the church was mostly farms and open land.
This church is special because it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. This means it is recognized as an important historical building in the United States.
Contents
What the Church Looks Like
The North Taunton Baptist Church is on Bay Street in Taunton. This street has been an important road since colonial times. The church building is made of wood and has a pointed roof.
The Church Tower
A tall, square tower sticks out a little from the front of the church. This tower has two main parts. The bottom part is tall and leads up to a decorative edge. Above that is a section with openings that look like pointed arches. These openings are where the church bell would be.
The Steeple and Entrance
On top of the tower is an eight-sided steeple. A weather vane sits at the very top of the steeple. The main door to the church is in a small entrance area that sticks out from the tower. This entrance also has a pointed roof.
Windows and Design
The windows on the front and sides of the church are interesting. They come in pairs, with a special three-part arched design above each pair. The church's style is called "Federal era" architecture. This was a popular building style in the United States during the early 1800s.
History of the Church
The Baptist church group in Taunton started meeting a very long time ago, around 1747. At first, they were an informal group. They met with other Baptists from a nearby town called Rehoboth, Massachusetts.
Early Meetings and Organization
Later, the group held their church services in the home of Jeremiah Bassett in North Taunton. In 1769, the church group officially became organized. For a while, the church met in a warehouse in Weir Village before the current building was constructed in 1837.
New Churches Form
Over the years, some groups of people left the original church to start their own. In 1819, one group formed the Winthrop Street Baptist Church closer to the center of Taunton.
Another split happened in 1822. Some members, called Calvinists, started their own church in Norton, Massachusetts. Other members, called Free Will Baptists, stayed in North Taunton. Because of this long history and how other churches grew from it, the North Taunton Baptist Church is often called the "mother church" for Baptists in the Taunton area.
See Also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Taunton, Massachusetts
- Ambrose Lincoln, Jr., House
