{"nrhp_refnum":"82002746","name":"First Baptist Church in Newton","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"848 Beacon St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Newton","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.32947659400003,"lon":-71.19579231199998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-04-15","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Religion"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Richardsonian Romanesque church with an attached Parish Hall at 848 Beacon Street, corner of Centre Street, in Newton, Massachusetts, dedicated in 1888 and designed by Boston architect John Lyman Faxon.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church embodies the distinctive characteristics of the Richardsonian Romanesque style and retains integrity of location, design, materials and workmanship, meeting criterion C. It is also historically significant as the home of Newton's first Baptist congregation, among the oldest in the state.","narrative":"Standing at the busy corner of Beacon and Centre Streets in Newton, this Baptist church is a Richardsonian Romanesque building designed by Boston architect John Lyman Faxon and dedicated in 1888. Rock-faced granite walls with dark red sandstone trim, round-arched openings, a Greek cross plan, a tall bell tower and a conical apse give it a heavy, horizontal character. Inside, the sanctuary seats 600 and features broad crossing arches, rich stencilled ornament, opalescent stained glass and original carved oak pews. A Parish Hall extends from the north side, and a 1963 educational wing was added at the western edge. The congregation traces its beginnings to 1780, and this is the third meeting house it has occupied. Its ministers included Samuel F. Smith, author of the lyrics to \"America.\" Well-executed Richardsonian Romanesque churches of this quality are comparatively rare, which is central to the property's recognition.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"John Lyman Faxon (architect); Mead, Mason and Co. (construction); L. Haberstroth & Son (interior decoration)","architectural_style":"Richardsonian Romanesque","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Listed as occupied and in good condition, in use as a religious building; the form notes alterations have been minor apart from a 1963 educational wing.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:54.151509-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/39/7960/63796039/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/82002746.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82002746/90f41c0253-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82002746/90f41c0253-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"Richard Tibbetts Tibbetts2c (talk)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_Baptist_Church_in_Newton_2008-11-01.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Richard Tibbetts Tibbetts2c (talk)</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_Baptist_Church_in_Newton_2008-11-01.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"76002137","name":"Woodland, Newton Highlands, and Newton Centre Railroad Stations, and Baggage and Express Building","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/massachusetts/woodland-newton-highlands-and-newton-centre-railroad-stations-and-baggage-and-ex-76002137/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63796039","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Baptist_Church_in_Newton_(Massachusetts)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5452448"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/first-baptist-church-in-newton-82002746/"}