First Baptist Church in America, Religious building in College Hill, Providence, United States.
First Baptist Church in America is a Georgian house of prayer in College Hill, Providence, built between 1774 and 1775. The tall steeple rises above the surrounding neighborhood, while the red brick facade shows the clean lines and symmetrical windows of the period.
Roger Williams founded the congregation in 1638, making it the first Baptist community in America. The current building rose nearly a century and a half later from a design by Joseph Brown, who drew on the works of British architect James Gibbs.
The building carries the name Meeting House, reflecting the early Baptist tradition of plain gathering spaces. Since 1776, Brown University has held its commencement ceremony here every year, making this house of prayer a setting for academic celebrations as well.
The church sits centrally in College Hill and is accessible through two entrances, including a wheelchair-friendly access at the back. Services take place on Sundays at 11 AM, and visitors can often view the interior outside service hours.
Joseph Brown's design marked a shift in Baptist building practice by adopting elements from James Gibbs's London church designs. Where Baptist meetinghouses had been plain before, this building received a decorative steeple and more elaborate interiors.
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