First Central Bible Church Steeple - Chicopee, MA - Unique Steeples on Waymarking.com

On November 28, 1828, the Baptist Church of Springfield and South Hadley was organized. At that time Chicopee was a parish of Springfield. After outgrowing several smaller buildings, in 1878 the present High Victorian Gothic style church was constructed at a cost of $20,000. In 1931, the First Baptist Church merged with Central Baptist Church to form the First Central Baptist Church.

January 8, 1975, the church voted to delete any references to the Massachusetts Baptist Convention and the American Baptist Association from the church constitution. In November 6, 2011 the constitution and by laws of the Bible Baptist Church was adopted and the church renamed the First Central Bible Church and operates as an independent church. Their mission and purpose is to glorify God and build communities to change the world. The Bible Church is a non-denominational, evangelical, Protestant church which emphasizes the inerrancy of scripture.

The front of the building has a ramp leading up to a raised entrances at the base of an octagonal, steeple. A two story high tower is topped by a belfry and a spire. Double door entrances on the north and east sides of the steeple have a pointed top under a Gothic arch. Above the windows is an octagonal false window. On alternate sides of the first level of the steeple are a vertical pair of Gothic style windows. On the second level are a louvered Gothic windows on the north and east sides. This is followed by a belfry covered with slate and containing louvered windows on all four sides. Finally there is a tall, slate covered, tapered, octagonal steeple topped with a finial.

The main block of the church has a slate covered gable roof outlined by a decorative frieze. The north side has a single Gothic style window and a chimney on the west side. The sides of the church are five bays wide with basement windows and tall Gothic windows at each bay. In 1965 the building was expanded with an addition to the rear.

Location of the Steeple: 50 Broadway Chicopee, MA United States 01020 Approximate Date of Construction: 1878 Website: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
Enjoy your visit, tell your story and post a picture.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.