Nomination for First Baptist Church

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

PH0100692 Form No. 10-300 (Rev. 10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE DATA SHEET FOR NPS USE ONLY NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM RECEIVEO MAR 6 1975 2 3 4 6 DATE ENTERED APR 14 H75 90000642 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES - COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS NAME HISTORIC First Baptist Church, Cambridge AND/OR COMMON Same LOCATION STREET & NUMBER Magazine and River Streets CITY. TOWN Cambridge STATE Massachusetts CLASSIFICATION _NOT FOR PUBLICATION CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT - VICINITY OF Central Square Eighth Mass.

CODE 25 COUNTY Middlesex 017 CATEGORY _DISTRICT XBUILDING(S) STRUCTURE .SITE _OBJECT OWNERSHIP PUBLIC XPRIVATE _BOTH PUBLIC ACQUISITION IN PROCESS _BEING CONSIDERED STATUS XOCCUPIED -UNOCCUPIED -WORK IN PROGRESS ACCESSIBLE X-YES: RESTRICTED - YES: UNRESTRICTED _NO PRESENT USE AGRICULTURE -MUSEUM _COMMERCIAL _PARK _EDUCATIONAL - PRIVATE RESIDENCE _ENTERTAINMENT X RELIGIOUS _GOVERNMENT -SCIENTIFIC _INDUSTRIAL _TRANSPORTATION MILITARY. OTHER: OWNER OF PROPERTY NAME First Baptist Church, Cambridge STREET & NUMBER 5 Magazine Street OLJ CITY, TOWN Cambridge - VICINITY OF Central Square LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION STATE Massachusetts COURTHOUSE REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC Middlesex County Registry of Deeds STREET & NUMBER Cambridge and Third Streets CITY.

TOWN STATE Cambridge Massachusetts REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE Survey of Architectural History in Cambridge; Historic American Buildings Survey DATE Local, 1967; HABS, 1969 XFEDERAL _STATE _COUNTY X .LOCAL DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS CITY.TOWN Cambridge Historical Commission; Library of Congress STATE Cambridge, Mass.; Washington, D.C. 7 DESCRIPTION CONDITION _EXCELLENT XX GOOD _FAIR _DETERIORATED LRUINS UNEXPOSED CHECK ONE XX-UNALTERED ALTERED CHECK ONE XXORIGINAL SITE _MOVED DATE. DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

Set off by itself on a triangle of land at a major intersection, the First Baptist Church is the focal point of Cambridge's Central Square. Built of brick in the Gothic Revival style, the church was designed by the prominent Boston firm of Hartwell and Richardson, and constructed in 1881. Extensively surveyed by HABS in 1968, the church is in nearly original con- aition. Ihe two-story L-shaped building faces north and is conceived in twg partsst the church proper, with its central entrance portico, vestibule, tBand northeast corner tower, runs north-south. ject out 12'. The southern part of the building runs east-west, the west end projecting out beyond the west wall of the church proper.

This section contains a parish hall, office, study, kitchen, and meeting rooms on the Iirst floor, with meeting rooms and access to the church balconies on the The two sections of the church are connected by a hall with Theinterior retains its fine woodwork, stained glass windows, elaborate ventilator grates and some original gas fixtures. Original wall and ceiling colors have not been changed. Set on a foundation of grey granite blocks, the two-story church is topped by a grey slate ridge roof with bands of red slate. The exterior brick- work is basically common bond but there are also wide and narrow bands of basketweave, sawtooth and recessed brick on all elevations. Terra cotta decorations, in the form of leaves and flowers, are found on drip molds (above all windows) and finials (which top each gable and spire). But- tresses of various heights encircle the building.

The Gothic gabled center entrance portico contains a double wooden door with tracery above. It is reached by a straight flight of 12' long granite stairs. To either side of the gable and on the east and west sides of the portico io aheantetomner oi the fe tde 1ot 19 1 oa targe mlle windeck topped by an vortheast comer of te octagonal spire. [The bell is located in a lancet opening in the upper third of the tower, below the clock.] Three narrow lancet windows are paired on the front of the tower above the first story single lancet window. At the northwest corner of the church, between the projecting one-story nave elevation and the main church facade, is a small angular bay with two lancet windows. The nave, on both the east and west sides, has 5 tall lancet windows with geometrical stained glass. Above these is a band of 18 small clerestory lights.

The ell, which runs east-west at the south end of the main structure, is en- circled with lancet windows and has two entrance porticos, similar to the main entrance, on its north and south elevations. A small narrow spired cupola projects from the roof apex near the western end of the ell. A few copper ventilator windows are found in various places near the roof ridge on both sections of the church.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD PREHISTORIC -1400-1499 .1500-1599 -1600-1699 1700-1799 X*1800-1899 1900- ARCHEOLUGY-PREHISTORIC ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC AGRICULTURE XARCHITECTURE ART _COMMERCE -COMMUNICATIONS AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE -- CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW -COMMUNITY PLANNING -LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE _CONSERVATION -LAW ECONOMICS - LITERATURE _EDUCATION -MILITARY LENGINEERING -MUSIC _EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT _PHILOSOPHY LINDUSTRY POLITICS/GOVERNMENT -INVENTION _RELIGION SCIENCE .SCULPTURE SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN -THEATER _TRANSPORTATION _OTHER (SPECIFY) SPECIFIC DATES 1881 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE BUILDER

Statement of significance

/ARCHITECT Hartwell and Richardson The First Baptist Church is significant as a local landmark on a prominent urban site and as the best example of a Gothic Revival church in the City of Cambridge. The church was designed by Hartwell and Richardson. The building itself replaced two former Baptist churches on the same property. The original First Baptist Meetinghouse was built in 1817 but burned in 1866. It was replaced the same year with a brick Gothic Revival church designed by S. S. Woodcock. Unfortunately, this church burned in 1881, but, as before, was replaced in the same year. Though of a similar design and partially built on the same foundation, the 1881 structure was larger than its precursor and its walls were especially constructed with fire retardation in mind. The 19th century Baptist parish in Cambridge was a large one and both the 1866 and 1881 churches seated 1,000 people.

Central Square has suffered considerable decline through the 20th century, and has lost a good deal of its 19th century fabric through demolition and/or exterior defacement. While a few noteworthy buildings remain in the Square, they are irregularly spaced throughout. on a triangle of land at a major intersection, the First Baptist Church 1s both a visual landmark and a reminder of higher architectural standards and more prosperous times.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Cambridge Historical Commission, Survey of Architectural History in Cambridge, Volume 3, Cambridgeport. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1971, PP- 81-82, 84-85. American Architect and Building News, Vol. 12 No. 366 (30 December 1882) 10 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY _ .5 acre -UTM UKCD UTM REFERENCES ALL,91 BR,616,2,0 14,92,22,0,00 EASTING NORTHING BL,J NORTHING - VORTHING LILILIL PLULLILULILILLI VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION Green Street on the north; Magazine Street on the east; Franklin Street on the south; and River Street on the west.

LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE CODE COUNTY CODE STATE CODE COUNTY CODE 11 FORM PREPARED BY NAME / TITLE Patricia Weslowski, Survey Director and Mindy Arbo, Cambridge Historical Commission ORGANIZATION Massachusetts Historical Commission February 13, 1975 STREET & NUMBER TELEPHONE 40 Beacon Street (617) 727-8470 CITY OR TOWN STATE Boston Massachusetts 12 STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER CERTIFICATION THE EVALUATED SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTY WITHIN THE STATE IS: NATIONAL - STATE _ LOCAL X As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665), 1 hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service.

FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVE SIGNATURE Ujabcch R. Amosm 2-28-75 TITLE DATE FOR NPS USE ONLY IHEREBY CERTIFY THATTHIS PROPERTY 15 NGLOEO IN THE MATIONAL FEGISTER DATE DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF ARCH XOSYAND HISTOBK ERE ATTEST PAVATION DATE 1/14/75 APR 9 1975 KEEPER OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER propert fint Beptist Church, Cambridge State Marsachwetts Working Number 3. 6, 25.346 TECHNICAL Photos / Maps Middlesey CONTROL 3,6.25 HISTORIAN W.Repite 3/10/75 THIS NOT THE" BEST" EXAMOLE OF GOTHIC REVIVAL ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN CHURCH IW CAMBRIDGE, BOT I+ IS ARCHITECTORALLY SIGNIFICANT IS THE FOCAL POINT OF CENTRAL AWD POSSIBLY THE MOST IMPRESSIVE SITING ACCEPT IW CAMBRIDGE.

S0 LEBOVICH 3-7-75 ARCHEOLOGIST OTHER HAER Inventory Review REVIEW UNIT CHIEF AcaM Cole 4-8-75 BRANCH CHIEF Jun 4.10.75 KEEPER National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 6-3-72 Send-back Re-submit Entered APR 14 1975 INT:2106-74 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service WASO No. 7 Form No. 10-301a (Rev. 10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY RECEIVED MAR 6 1975 APR 1 4 197 DATE ENTERED SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES ENCLOSE WITH PHOTOGRAPH 3 NAME HISTORIC FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, CAMBRIDGE AND/OR COMMON LOCATION CITY. TOWN CAMBRIDGE CENTRAL _VICINITY OF SQUARE COUNTY MIDDLESEX STATE PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT B.

ORR DATE OF PHOTO 1969 NEGATIVE FILED AT CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL COMMISSION, 57 INMAN STREET, CAMI IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC. IF DISTRICT, GIVE BUILDING NAME & STREET PHOTO NO NORTH ELEVATION #l061 PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER Form No. 10-301 (Rev. 10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY MAP FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY RECEIVED MAR 6 DATE ENTERED 1975. SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES - ENCLOSE WITH MAP APR 14 1975 1 2 3 4 NAME HISTORIC FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, CAMBRIDGE AND/OR COMMON LOCATION CITY. TOWN CAMBRIDGE CENTRAL -VICINITY OF SQUARE MAP REFERENCE SOURCE USGS QUADRANGLE "BOSTON SOUTH, MASS." SCALE 1:24,000 DATE 1970 REQUIREMENTS TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS 1. PROPERTY BOUNDARIES 2. NORTH ARROW 3. UTM REFERENCES COUNTY MIDDLESEX STATE MASS.

Regional Director, North Atlantic Region 4/15/75 Mott PR ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE MASSACHUSEITS Date Entered 1 4 1975 Name Old Ship Street Historio Distriet Fort Sewall First Baptist Church, Carbridge St. Stephen's Church Fowle-Reed Wynan Hlouse Salem Cxoss Inn Location Medford Middlesex County Marblehead Essex County Cambridge Middlesex County Boaton Suffolk County A=lington Middlesex County Weat Brookfield vicinity Vorcester County Also Notified Hon. Edward M . Kennedy Ion, Edward W. Brooke Ion. Torbert H. MacDonald lon. Michael J. Harrington lon. Thomas P. OiNe111, Jr. Fon, John J. Moakley Hon. Edward P. Boland Stato Iistoria Preservation Officer Ira. Elizaboth R.

Anadon Executive Director Mansachusetts Histozical Comission 40 Beacon Street Boston, lassachusetts 02108 MNR Data Sheet v0 NAME AS IT APPEARS IN FEDERAL REGISTER: First Baptist Church OTHER NANES: LOCATION: Sts. STREET & NUMBER Magazine and River Steeets CITY. TOWN Cambridge STATE Massachusetts VICINITY OF - CONGRESSIUNAL DISTRICT 8th COUNTY Middlesefode 01:7 OWNER OF PROPERTY: (Circle) PRIVATE: STATE LOCAL GOV'T MUNICIPAL COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR (underline) FEDERAL (AGENCY NAME) : OTHER HABS; G.

NPS REGION: (CIRCLE) N.ATLANTIO MID ATLANTIC SOUTHEAST MIDWEST SOUTHWEST ROCKY MOUNTAIN WEST PACIFIC NORTHWEST FEATURES: INTERIOR Substantially intact-1 - unknown - 4 - not applicable - 7 CONDITION - -EXCELLENT 26000 -FAIR EXTERIOR ENVIRONS substantially intact-2 Vsubstantially intact-3 _ unknown.-5 -unknown -6 _ not applicable - 8 _Not applicable-9 -Interioi, exterior, environs not intact-0 _DETERIORATED LUNALTERED _RUINS ALTERED _UNEXPOSED -Reconstructed LORIGINAL SITE _MOVED _Unknown _Unexcavater _Excavated ACCESS - Yes-restricted Yes-unrestricted No access Unknown historic district? YES NO WITHIN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT? IF YES, NAME: YES WITHIN NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK? IF YES, NAME: YES ADAPTIVE USE: YES Saved?

YES NO FUNCTION (S): (use vocabulary words) then- as church now- Saune DATE: 3/2377 Reviewer NR 14, 1975 SIGNIFICANCE: /_ARCHEULUGY-PREHISTORIC ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC AGRICULTURE LARCHITECTURE - 4 ART _COMMERCE _COMMUNICATIONS Claims "first" _CONSERVATION _ECONOMICS -EDUCATION _ENGINEERING _EXPLORATION _INDUSTRY -INVENTION YES NO -LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE _LAW/Gov't/politics _LITERATURE -MILITARY _MUSIC -PHILOSOPHY -POLITICS/GOVERNMENT "oldest?

YES NO CIENCE _SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN _TRANSPORTATION __OTHER (SPECIFY) --entertainment -health _recreation -settlement -socio/cultural _urban & commun planning "only" YES NO Do notf.ln ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: LATE GoTHI REUWaL architect/m,builder: &RicHaRpsoN landscape/garden designer: artist/artisan: interior decorator: builder/contractor: ETHNIC GROUP: NAMES: (label role & appropriate date) personal events institutional DATES: DATE OF CONSTRUCTION (specific date or 1/4 of century): /88 / DATE (S) OF "MAJOR" ALTERATIONS : HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT DATE (S) : SOURCE: (OF NOMINATION) PRIVATE OTHER FEDERAL 'AGENCY: ACREAGE: (to nearest tenth of an acre) STATE LOCAL GOV"T MUNICIPAL COUNTY COMMENTS: architectural infornation here) BRICK, GRANITE FOUNDATION, TERRA COTa ORNAMENTATION; 2 STORIES, L-SHARE ASEBUED SLATE ROOF, FRONT CENTER GABLED POINTED-ARCHED ENTRANCE PORTAL WITH indstonu PAURSD DOUBLE-DOORS AND LEGOÇO TRANSOMS, SURMOUNTED BT ELA- BORATE ROSE WINDOW; FRjOT CORNER BELL OND CLOCK JOWER WITH POINTED- ARCHID BRERRY OPENINES, BUTTRESSEE, aMD TAUL BROACHED SPIRE; askerurave SIGNIFICANCE:(maximum tro sentonces) ADDITLONAL BUTTRESSES, DECORAtIVE, BRICK @ Excellent SBCNOFNENMRIGINAL INTERIORSO BESFCKAMPLE OR CATE GOTHK PEUWaL iN THE CITY; WORK OK PROMUNENT BOSTON ARCHITECIS HART- wEll 8t.

RICHARDSONO HOBSS