College Baptist Church - Hillsdale, MI
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S5280ft
N 41° 55.781 W 084° 38.050
16T E 696154 N 4644675
Located on the northwest corner of Manning and Fayette Streets. Parking is available.
Waymark Code: WM1M4E
Location: Michigan, United States
Date Posted: 05/29/2007
Views: 120
From the State of Michigan Historic Preservation Office website:
Narrative Description:
The College Baptist Church or First Free Will Baptist Church, standing near Hillsdale College on College Hill is a very large and broad fronted, Romanesque-style, brick structure with a simple gable roof and square corner tower (a tall spire was blown down in 1871 and never rebuilt). It has corbelled brick frieze detailing; a broad, arched, central entrance; and narrow, double-or-triple-light windows fitted with stained glass. The interior has galleries on three sides and the space is capped by a false ceiling supported by a system of hammerbeam trusses (all added in 1915). Successive alterations-- especially those of 1915 and 1930-- have resulted in the covering over or removal of virtually all of the original interior fabric.
Statement of Significance:
Edmund B. Fairfield, President of Hillsdale College, and seven others met on November 24, 1855 to sign articles of incorporation establishing the First Free Will Baptist Church in Hillsdale. Over the next ten years, Sunday services took place at the college chapel. As the congregation swelled in number to over two hundred by 1865, the church trustees turned their attention to the construction of a church building. The present church, the only one the congregation has had, was built in 1867 and dedicated on January 5, 1868. It is said to have been designed by a Chicago architect using sketches of European cathedrals made by Wayland Dunn, the son of Hillsdale College President Ransom E. Dunn, on a trip the two made to Europe and the Holy Land in 1865 to 1866. Whatever the source of the design, the completed church was one of the largest in Michigan, being sixty by one hundred and twenty feet in ground dimensions and having a seating capacity of 1600 in the auditorium. The congregation has retained close ties with nearby Hillsdale College throughout its history.
From the Michigan Historic Marker on-site:
This church was incorporated as the First Free will Baptist Church on November 24, 1855. The congregation met at the Hillsdale College Chapel until the present church was constructed in 1867-1868. This Romanesque building was designed by a Chicago architect using sketches of European cathedrals prepared by Wayland Dunn. Wayland was the son of Professor Ransom Dunn, the pastor at the time of construction. The only alteration of the exterior has been the loss of the southeast spire, which was toppled by the wind in 1871.
Date the Church was built, dedicated or cornerstone laid: 01/05/1868
Age of Church building determined by?: Cornerstone or plaque
If denomination of Church is not part of the name, please provide it here: Baptist
If Church is open to the public, please indicate hours: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM
If Church holds a weekly worship service and "all are welcome", please give the day of the week: Sunday
Indicate the time that the primary worship service is held. List only one: 10:45 AM
Street address of Church:
204 North Manning
Hillsdale, MI U.S.A.
49242
Primary website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link]
Secondary Website for Church or Historic Church Building: Not listed
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