First Baptist Church
National Register of Historic Places

First Baptist Church

Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Listed
February 23, 1972
Type
Building
Period
Colonial
Ref No.
72000146

About this property

The First Baptist Church (or "Brattle Square Church") is a historic American Baptist Churches USA congregation, established in 1665. It is one of the oldest Baptist churches in the United States. It first met secretly in members homes, and the doors of the first church were nailed shut by a decree from the Puritans in March 1680. The congregation was forced to move to Noddle's Island. The congregation was forced to be disguised as a tavern and members traveled by water to worship. Rev. Dr. Stillman led the congregation in the North End for over 40 years, from 1764 to 1807. The congregation moved to Beacon Hill in 1854, where it was the tallest steeple in the city. After a slow demise under Rev. Dr. Rollin Heber Neale, the congregation briefly joined with the Shawmut Ave. Church, and the Warren Avenue Tabernacle, and merged and bought the current church building in 1881, for $100,000.00. Since 1882 it has been located at the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Clarendon Street in the Back Bay. The interior is currently a pending Boston Landmark through the Boston Landmarks Commission.

Location

Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
42.35179, -71.07625

Categories

ARTARCHITECTURE
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 Battles

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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 23, 1972.

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 colonial era, specifically around 1665.

Can I research the history near First Baptist Church?

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