North Taunton Baptist Church
Why it's listed
This clapboard church at 1940 Bay Street in North Taunton was built in 1837 in the Federal style. It is the second meeting house on its site. Baptists were living in the area by 1747 and worshipped with a congregation in Rehoboth. Jeremiah Bassett held meetings in his North Taunton home until the 1760s, when local Baptists organized under his guidance. The first meeting house went up in 1767 and the congregation was formally organized in 1769. That building was later moved to Weir Village and used as a warehouse. Divisions followed, including a split between Calvinists and Free Will Baptists, and members of this church founded the Winthrop Street Baptist Church, making it the mother Baptist church of the city. The building is regarded as Taunton's only surviving late Federal period church in almost intact condition, with its original location, design, materials and setting preserved. It also reflects the growth of a small rural settlement around the church, supported first by farming and later by small manufacturing.
Significance in brief: It is described as the only early 19th century church in Taunton to survive in almost intact condition, and a very good example of Federal style church design. The congregation also encouraged a small rural settlement in North Taunton, first supported by farming and later by small manufacturing. The form cites criteria A and C.
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 84002188, listed July 5, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1940 Bay St., Taunton |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | July 5, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002188 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a church; the form records no alterations and no moving. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.91467, -71.09420 (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 84002188.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7056942
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.