First Baptist Church, corner of Crescent and Main Streets, circa 1870
Description:
"The first meeting house of the Baptist Society of the First Parish was built in 1800 on Salem Street "near the resident of the late Sylvanus Clark, No. 37 Salem Street." according to the History of the First Baptist Church in Wakefield, Mass., 1800-1900, the newly founded organization had requested to meet in the "schoolhouse near the meeting house" but the request was denied. An additional request to build their church on common ground was also denied, leading to the purchase of the site on Salem Street and the building of a 38' x 34' "edifice with galleries." In 1820, the meeting house was moved from Salem Street to its new home at the corner of Main and Crescent streets and subsequently enlarge by a 16' addition, a porch and a belfry. The building was destroyed by a fire in December 1835. Just one year later, a new building erected on the same site was dedicated. The building measured 68' x 48' with a conference room in the basement. in 1853, the building was enlarged by 16' and the structure raised, "making provision for a commodious vestry" and a conference room in the basement. The congregation grew and the church space became inadequate. In 1871, a decision was made to build a new church on land across the common. Before work could begin at the new site, an "incendiary fire" destroyed the building on June 21, 1871. Ground was broken for the church's new home six days later, on June 27th. The third home of the Baptist Church was destroyed by fire on October 23, 2018." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio. Image from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department annual calendar, 2020 Photo courtesy of JC Marketing Associates
