First Baptist Church
Why it's listed
Set alone on a triangle of land at a busy intersection, this brick church is the focal point of Central Square in Cambridge. Built in 1881 to designs by the Boston firm Hartwell and Richardson, it is an L-shaped, two-story Gothic Revival building with a 190-foot corner tower, a rose window above the gabled entrance portico, and lancet windows with geometric stained glass. Terra cotta leaves and flowers decorate the window drip molds and finials, and bands of patterned brick run across the walls. The interior retains its woodwork, stained glass, ventilator grates and some original gas fixtures. The site had held two earlier Baptist churches: a meetinghouse of 1817 that burned in 1866, and a brick Gothic Revival replacement that burned in 1881. The present building was made larger, with walls built to resist fire, and seated 1,000 people. It is valued as a local landmark and as Cambridge's best Gothic Revival church.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is a local landmark on a prominent urban site and the best example of a Gothic Revival church in Cambridge. It also replaced two earlier Baptist churches on the same property and survives as a reminder of the square's more prosperous past.
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 75000249, listed April 14, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Magazine and River Sts., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 14, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75000249 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1881 |
| Architect / builder | Hartwell and Richardson |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and nearly original; still in use as a church, occupied. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Within district | Central Square Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.36477, -71.10497 (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 75000249.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5452364
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.