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's located at 1940 Bay Street. This small church was built way back in 1837, when the area around it was mostly farms. It's a special building because it shows the style of architecture from the Federal era in American history. Because of its history and unique style, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
About the Church Building
The North Taunton Baptist Church stands on the southwest side of Bay Street, which is a main road connecting Taunton to other towns. It's a single-story building made of wood, with a pointed roof. The outside walls are covered with overlapping wooden boards called clapboard siding.
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 above it is a section with openings where the church bell would be. These openings are shaped like Gothic arches. On top of the tower is an eight-sided steeple, which is a tall, pointed structure, with a weather vane at the very top. The main entrance to the church is through a small porch that sticks out from the tower. The windows on the front and sides of the church are in pairs, with a special three-part arched panel above each pair.
History of the Church Community
The Baptist community in Taunton started a long time ago, as early as 1747. At first, they were an informal group connected with Baptists in nearby Rehoboth. Later, this group held their church services in the North Taunton home of Jeremiah Bassett.
In 1769, the group officially became an organized church. For a while, the church moved to Weir Village and used a warehouse for their services. Then, in 1837, the North Taunton church building that we see today was finally built.
Over the years, some groups split off from this church to form new ones.
- In 1819, one group left to start the Winthrop Street Baptist Church closer to the center of Taunton.
- Then, in 1822, another split happened. This time, it was between two different Baptist groups: the Calvinists and the Free Will Baptists. The Calvinists started their own church in Norton. The Free Will Baptists stayed in North Taunton.
Because of its long history and how many other Baptist 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
