{"nrhp_refnum":"84002607","name":"First Baptist Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"461 Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Stoneham","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.47687575200007,"lon":-71.10082374299998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1984-04-13","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick and shingle Queen Anne style church at 461 Main Street in Stoneham, Massachusetts, built in 1892 for the First Baptist Church congregation. It was designed by L.B. Volk & Sons of Brooklyn, N.Y.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it a well detailed, architect designed Queen Anne church and one of the finest masonry structures in central Stoneham, with few original features altered. It is also tied to the First Baptist Society, organized in 1870. It is the latest of three well preserved nineteenth century churches and the only one with a known architect.","narrative":"Built in 1892 at 461 Main Street, this Queen Anne church was designed by L.B. Volk & Sons of Brooklyn, N.Y., for the First Baptist congregation in Stoneham. The first story is brick, while the gabled areas and the tower are shingled. Two cross gables face Main Street with a two story tower between them. The gables hold arched stained glass windows and decorative corbeled courses. The three stage tower has a hooded entry, a belfry with paired arched openings and stained glass rondels, and a four sided steeple. The congregation was organized in 1870 and first met in a chapel on Common Street until this building replaced it. The church stands on the site of the estate of Luther Hill, a prominent shoe manufacturer. It is the latest of three well preserved nineteenth century churches in the area and the only one with a known architect. It is regarded as one of the finest masonry buildings in central Stoneham, with few original features altered apart from the roofing material.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"L.B. Volk & Sons, Brooklyn, N.Y.","architectural_style":"Queen Anne","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still owned by the First Baptist Church organization; the roof slate has been replaced with asphalt shingles.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:56.633227-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/36/7911/63791136/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/84002607.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002607/b1570c15bc-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002607/b1570c15bc-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StonehamMA_FirstBaptistChurch.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">User:Magicpiano</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StonehamMA_FirstBaptistChurch.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63791136","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Baptist_Church_(Stoneham,_Massachusetts)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5452436"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/first-baptist-church-84002607/"}