National Register of Historic Places

First Baptist Church

Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut
Listed
February 22, 1990
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
90000154

About this property

The First Baptist Church is a historic church at 126 Washington Avenue in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Built in 1893, it is a distinctive local example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, designed by local architect Joseph W. Northrop for a congregation founded in 1837. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. Bridgeport's First Baptist Church stands west of the city downtown at the northeast corner of Washington Avenue and West Street. It is a tall single-story structure, roughly in the shape of an elongated octagon with several projections. It is built of red sandstone from East Haven. The most prominent is the 4-1/2 story octagonal tower at the street corner, which houses the main entrance in a square pavilion at its base. Shorter towers rise from the other corners of the building. The main roof is hipped and rises to support a clerestory window near its apex. The interior is relatively little altered since a 1930 renovation, and still retains many features from its original construction, including the tile floor, plastered walls, and oak pews. Attached to the rear is the parish house, built at the same time with similar materials and styling. The congregation was established in 1837 and grew from 39 founders to become one of the city's largest Protestant congregations. This building, its third, was built in 1893 to a design by local architect Joseph W. Northrop. It is a prominent local example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. National Register of Historic Places listings in Bridgeport, Connecticut

Location

126 Washington Ave.
Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut
41.17656, -73.19748

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Bishop, Peyton Randolph, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
St. John's Episcopal Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
United Congregational Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
Sterling Hill Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi
United Illuminating Company Building
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Burning of Fairfield and Norwalk
1779Revolutionary War
4.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was First Baptist Church listed on the National Register?

First Baptist Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 22, 1990.

What type of historic resource is First Baptist Church?

First Baptist Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for First Baptist Church?

The period of significance for First Baptist Church is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near First Baptist Church?

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