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First Baptist Church (New Bedford, Massachusetts)

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Coordinates: 41°38′6″N 70°55′44″W / 41.63500°N 70.92889°W / 41.63500; -70.92889
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First Baptist Church
First Baptist Church (New Bedford, Massachusetts) is located in Massachusetts
First Baptist Church (New Bedford, Massachusetts)
First Baptist Church (New Bedford, Massachusetts) is located in the United States
First Baptist Church (New Bedford, Massachusetts)
Location149 William Street,
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Coordinates41°38′6″N 70°55′44″W / 41.63500°N 70.92889°W / 41.63500; -70.92889
Built1829
Architectural styleGreek Revival
Part ofCounty Street Historic District (ID76000229)
NRHP reference No.75000251[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPApril 21, 1975
Designated CPAugust 11, 1976

The First Baptist Church is a historic Baptist church meeting house in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The Greek Revival building was constructed in 1829, and has been a prominent landmark of the city ever since. Its tower appears on the city seal.[2]

The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975,[1] and included in the County Street Historic District in 1976.[2] In 2015 the landmark was declared a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

In 1863 Major Henry M. Robert attended the annual general meeting at the First Baptist Church in New Bedford and on the spot was elected the chairman pro tem of the meeting. He was embarrassed because he knew nothing of how to run a meeting. It was that meeting that caused him to begin studying parliamentary law, which culminated in the publication of the first edition of his book, Robert's Rules of Order, in 1876.[3]

In 2012 the Waterfront Historic Area LeaguE (WHALE), a local historic preservation non-profit, undertook a feasibility study focused on restoring the church for use as a theater venue. That same year, a partnership between theater company Your Theatre and WHALE was formed and an agreement reached with the First Baptist congregation to move their operations into the building’s annex. Over the course of the next decade, WHALE, funded by a combination of grants, state historic tax credit, city funds and direct donations from organizations and individuals, would work to revitalize the building.[4]

In November of 2023 the First Baptist Church's doors reopened as the Steeple Playhouse.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ a b "MACRIS inventory record for First Baptist Church". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  3. ^ "Historical Vignette 038 - An Army Engineer Brought Order to Church Meetings". US Army Corps of Engineers. November 2001. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  4. ^ admin (April 4, 2016). "First Baptist Church: Home of "Robert's Rules of Order"". Waterfront Historic Area LeaguE (WHALE). Retrieved July 16, 2024.


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