Second Baptist Church (Poughkeepsie, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Second Baptist Church |
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East (front) elevation and south profile, 2008
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | American Baptist Churches USA |
| Location | |
| Location | Poughkeepsie, NY, USA |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | east |
| Materials | Wood |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Added to NRHP | January 20, 1972 |
| NRHP Reference no. | 72000836 |
The Second Baptist Church is a historic building in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. You can find it at the corner of Vassar and Mill streets. This church is made of wood and was built in the late 1830s. It is designed in the Greek Revival style. This makes it special because it is the only church left in Poughkeepsie with this style.
Many different groups have used this building over the years. It was even a synagogue at one point! This might be why it was sometimes called the Vassar Temple. The land it stands on was once owned by Matthew Vassar, who started Vassar College. In 1972, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historical site. Later, it became part of the Mill Street-North Clover Street Historic District.
About the Church Building
The church building is shaped like a rectangle. It has three sections on the short sides and six sections on the long sides. The front of the church, which has a row of columns, faces east. The building looks like it has two floors, but it only has one story plus an attic. This is because its brick basement is visible on most sides. The roof has a gentle slope.
What Makes it Special?
The church has four flat, column-like decorations called pilasters on its short sides. There are six of these on the long sides, separating each section. The main entrance has a special porch supported by four wooden columns. These columns are in the Doric style, which means they are simple and strong. Above the columns, there is a decorative band with alternating flat panels and vertical grooves.
The two main entrance doors have beautiful stained glass windows. There are also four larger stained glass windows on the longer sides of the church. All these windows have a similar design. They show two columns supporting an arched, decorative canopy.
A Look at Its History
People first started using this property for religious purposes in the mid-1830s. A group that separated from the Presbyterian Church bought the land from Matthew Vassar's family. The design of the church was inspired by a building guide from 1833. The Greek Revival style was very popular for public buildings back then. It also influenced how some homes were built.
The Presbyterian group did not stay in the church for long. They sold the building to the First Congregational Church in 1842. The different owners and uses of the church show how the city's population changed over time.
Years later, the church was sold to a private owner. This person then gave it to the local Masonic lodge in 1859. The next year, the lodge sold it to Matthew Vassar, Jr. He then sold it to a local synagogue, the Congregated Brethren of Israel, in 1868. Because a synagogue used it, people started calling it the "Vassar Temple." This name also referred to the columns at the front of the building.
Today, the Second Baptist Church and the Farmer's and Manufacturer's Bank on Market Street are the only large Greek Revival buildings left in Poughkeepsie that are not homes. Other buildings in this style, like the old city hall, have been torn down.
