Congdon Street Baptist Church

The Congdon Street Baptist Church is an historically African American church at 17 Congdon Street in the College Hill neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island.

Congdon Street Baptist Church
(2012)
Congdon Street Baptist Church is located in Rhode Island
Congdon Street Baptist Church
Congdon Street Baptist Church is located in the United States
Congdon Street Baptist Church
LocationProvidence, Rhode Island
Coordinates41°49′42″N 71°24′25″W
Built1874
ArchitectHartshorn & Wilcox
Architectural styleItalianate
Part ofCollege Hill Historic District (ID70000019)
NRHP reference No.71000032[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 21, 1971
Designated NHLDCPNovember 10, 1970

Description and history

The congregation was established in 1819, and originally met in a building located near the present site, which was torn down in 1869. The present building, a single-story Italianate structure, was built in 1874–75. The eaves and gables are decorated with sawn woodwork that resembles brick corbelling. The windows along the long sides of the building are tall sash windows with a segmented-arch top, while the street-facing gable end has a three-part round-arch window. The stages of the square tower repeat the corbel woodwork at each level. The church is set into a hill, exposing a full brick basement, through which entrance to the building is gained. The interior is decorated with plain Victorian woodwork and stencilling on the walls.[2]

The architects were Hartshorn & Wilcox.[3] Hartshorn was the successor of Thomas A. Tefft and this church echoes many of his designs.

In December 1968, 65 Black students from Brown University marched down College Hill to the Congdon Street Baptist Church. They remained in the church for three days,[4] as a protest of the small number of Black students admitted to the University as well as a lack of institutional support.[5]

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 for its architectural significance,[1] and is part of the College Hill Historic District

  • View from the west in 2012
    View from the west in 2012
  • View from the south in 2021, showing the deterioration of the exterior
    View from the south in 2021, showing the deterioration of the exterior

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. "NRHP nomination for Congdon Street Baptist Church" (PDF). Rhode Island Preservation. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  3. Woodward, William McKenzie. Providence: A Citywide Survey of Historic Resources. 1986.
  4. RankTribe (May 6, 2017). "Brown Women Speak: Oral histories illuminate lives of Pembroke, Brown women". Black News. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  5. Hyde-Keller, O'rya (June 15, 2017). "What's past is prologue: BCSC at 40". Brown University. News from Brown. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
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