First Baptist Church from One Financial Plaza Tower

The First Baptist Church in America has been on College Hill in downtown Providence since 1638. The church was founded by Roger Williams in 1638. The building that stands today on North Main Street was built between 1774 and 1775. John and Joseph Brown were responsible for the design of the church. It is an 80-ft. square building that blends two traditions together: the New England meeting house and the Anglican parish church. The steeple derives from James Gibb’s 1728 Book of Architecture, Plate 30, an alternative design for St. Martin-in-the-Fields of 1726 in Trafalgar Square, London.