First Baptist Church

First Baptist Church. c. 1889. , Founded on April 15, 1850, and led by Dr. Alfred Newton Worthy. First Baptist Church originally met at the Masonic Lodge, a small two-story wooden building located on the corner of North Three Notch Street and Walnut Street. As the congregation grew, the church required a larger meeting space. The construction of the current structure, designed in a Gothic Romanesque Revival style featuring just one tower, began in 1887 and was completed three years later in 1889. During the cornerstone laying ceremony, which was a monumental event in Troy, church members placed a time capsule in the stone, where it remains today. The congregation moved into the building in late October 1889. Originally lit by oil lamps, electricity replaced the oil lamps in 1891, making night services possible. The Ladies' Aid group oversaw the 1906 church additions and renovations, which completely moved the altar from the nave's west end to the east and added a second, larger tower. Two years later, in 1908, the Ladies' Aid group also oversaw and secured the implementation of "Sanitary Connections," which installed plumbing in the church for the first time., (Reverse Side) , The church added a bell in the east tower in October 1947. Just a year later, in 1948, a major remodel of the sanctuary removed many aspects of the 1906 renovation and added the first balcony to the structure. The next major renovation took place in 1997, at a time when some members felt the congregation should construct a new sanctuary. Instead, the church commissioned a major renovation, at a cost of more than $4 million. The renovation plans matched the original gothic architecture while incorporating many modern elements. The church held its dedication day for the new and improved facilities in April 1999. Additional renovations began in 2024 at a cost of more than $7 million under the "Enduring Vision Campaign” to better equip the church to share the gospel. First Baptist Church's congregation has been serving the citizens of Troy for well over 175 years. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on August 12, 1976 .