WIP · World in Pocket

First Baptist Church

Massachusetts, US

First Baptist Church

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. The church was listed on the National Register of Histo

ric Places in 1975, and included in the County Street Historic District in 1976. 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. 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...

Listen to the audio guide for First Baptist Church Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off

Nearby