Central Baptist Church - Westfield, MA
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 42° 07.381 W 072° 44.901
18T E 686121 N 4665888
The Romanesque Revival style Central Baptist Church is located at 115 Elm Street in Westfield, MA.
Waymark Code: WM15R21
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 02/13/2022
Views: 0
First Baptists arrived in Westfield in the 18th century as the second religious group, after the Congregationalist, to settle in Westfield. They built their first church on the present site in 1789. In 1867, the present church was erected. MACRIS narrative: (
visit link)
The Romanesque Revival style Central Baptist Church is constructed of brick with brownstone trim. The west facing façade has a projecting one story high section with a slanted, slate roof. This section has two entrances with rounded doors under gable roofs. The entrances are separated by a single bay with a small window with a rounded top.
A tower on the northwest corner has a ramp leading up to additional entrance. Above this entrance is a single narrow window on three sides with a rounded top followed by a belfry with louvered windows with rounded tops on three sides. The tower is topped by an octagonal spire with a gray slate roof decorated with white slate forming a chevron design. There are alternating triangular windows at every second side of the octagonal spire.
The main block of the church is built in the form of a cross and has a cross gable roof covered in slate. There is a large circular window on the gable side. Above the circular window is a single narrow window with a rounded top. Decorative crennalated brickwork is below the roof line.
The sides of the main block are five bays deep before the apse. Each bay has a large window with a rounded top. In 1959, an modern style Education Building was added to the northwest side of the church.
The Central Baptist Church is listed as a contributing building to the Westfield Center Commercial District on the National Register of Historic Places.