First Baptist Church and Society
Also known as: First Baptist Cemetery
Why it's listed
Baptist Street in Swansea, Massachusetts, is home to a Greek Revival church dedicated in 1849 and an older burial ground across the road. The one-story clapboard building has a gable roof, a full pediment at the entrance end and a square bell tower. Inside, a restrained nave has a coffered plaster ceiling and 32 box pews that are probably original. An educational wing was added at the rear in the 1960s. The congregation descends from a church organized in 1663 under the Reverend John Myles, who had been ejected from his post in Swansea, Wales. It is recognized as the first Baptist church in Massachusetts and the fourth in America. After moving between sites, including one in present-day Barrington, Rhode Island, the congregation built an earlier meetinghouse in 1717 and the present church under Rev. J. J. Thatcher. The cemetery, enclosed by a rubblestone wall, holds about 37 stones dated 1731 to 1819.
Significance in brief: The congregation traces to the first Baptist church in Massachusetts (1664) and the fourth in America, founded by the Reverend John Myles. The church is an intact example of mid-19th-century Greek Revival design for a rural congregation. The cemetery is the only surviving evidence of the congregation's early 18th-century relocation to present-day Swansea.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 90000060, listed February 16, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Baptist St., Swansea |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | February 16, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000060 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Church in good condition and cemetery in fair condition; church services and activities continue. Development near the Routes 6 and 136 intersection has threatened the setting. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 41.77113, -71.26866 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 90000060.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5452449
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.