First Baptist Church of Cold Spring (Nelsonville, New York)
Encyclopedia
The Church on the hill, Cold Spring Baptist Church is located just outside that village
on Main Street (NY 301
) in Nelsonville
, New York
, United States
. It is the oldest church in the town of Philipstown
, which includes both villages, and has been in use continually since its 1833 construction. Its white steeple, at the rise on the line between the villages, is a Nelsonville landmark.
It is also the only frame
church of any note within the Hudson Highlands
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982, and is situated next to Gothic Italianate home at 249 Main Street, which is also on the National Register.
clapboard
structure on a stone
foundation
. The projecting entrance bay
frames the doorway with corner pilaster
s and a plain entablature
. The doorway itself is also pilastered, with bracketed
capitals
and a modillioned cornice
.
From this rises a tall pendented steeple
, atop an octagonal cupola
whose arch
ed openings are filled with louvered panels. The roof is gable
d with returns; the projecting eaves are likewise bracketed. All sides have rounded stained-glass
windows and corner pilasters.
A later addition, on the rear, has a lower but similar roof and dentilled cornice. Two other additions are of similarly sympathetic styling.
that became much of present-day Nelsonville, donated the land in 1831. A man named Davenport (first name unknown) designed the church; William Bowne built it for $825 ($ in 2008 dollars).
It has been added onto several times since and partially rebuilt once. In 1854 the steeple and rear lecture hall were added. A baptistry was carved out of the interior 20 years later. Finally, a 1962 addition to the rear added classroom
s, a kitchen
and dining room
. The interior was damaged by a fire in 1978; it was restored
and reopened two years later.
Rev. Timoth M. Greco is currently serving as Pastor of the church.
Cold Spring, New York
Cold Spring is a village located in the Town of Philipstown in Putnam County, New York. The population was 1,983 at the 2000 census. It borders the smaller village of Nelsonville...
on Main Street (NY 301
New York State Route 301
New York State Route 301 is an intra-county state highway stretching across three-quarters of Putnam County, New York, in the United States. The western terminus of NY 301 is at an intersection with NY 9D in Cold Spring. Its eastern terminus is at a junction with NY 52 in...
) in Nelsonville
Nelsonville, New York
Nelsonville is a Hudson Highlands village located in the Town of Philipstown in Putnam County, New York. The population was 565 at the time of the 2000 census.The Village of Nelsonville is directly east of the Village of Cold Spring...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the oldest church in the town of Philipstown
Philipstown, New York
Philipstown is a town located in the western part of Putnam County, New York, United States. The population was 9,422 at the 2000 census.- History :The town was first settled around 1715....
, which includes both villages, and has been in use continually since its 1833 construction. Its white steeple, at the rise on the line between the villages, is a Nelsonville landmark.
It is also the only frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
church of any note within the Hudson Highlands
Hudson Highlands
The Hudson Highlands are mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York, between Newburgh Bay and Haverstraw Bay, which form the northern region of the New York - New Jersey Highlands....
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982, and is situated next to Gothic Italianate home at 249 Main Street, which is also on the National Register.
Building
The church is a frameFraming (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
structure on a stone
Stonemasonry
The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...
foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
. The projecting entrance bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
frames the doorway with corner pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s and a plain entablature
Entablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
. The doorway itself is also pilastered, with bracketed
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
capitals
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
and a modillioned cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
.
From this rises a tall pendented steeple
Steeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
, atop an octagonal cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
whose arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
ed openings are filled with louvered panels. The roof is gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d with returns; the projecting eaves are likewise bracketed. All sides have rounded stained-glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows and corner pilasters.
A later addition, on the rear, has a lower but similar roof and dentilled cornice. Two other additions are of similarly sympathetic styling.
History
The congregation was formed in 1808; it met in members' homes until 1831, when it had grown big enough to afford a church of its own. Samuel and Mary Gouverneur, owners of a large estateEstate (house)
An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks the latter's now abolished jurisdictional authority...
that became much of present-day Nelsonville, donated the land in 1831. A man named Davenport (first name unknown) designed the church; William Bowne built it for $825 ($ in 2008 dollars).
It has been added onto several times since and partially rebuilt once. In 1854 the steeple and rear lecture hall were added. A baptistry was carved out of the interior 20 years later. Finally, a 1962 addition to the rear added classroom
Classroom
A classroom is a room in which teaching or learning activities can take place. Classrooms are found in educational institutions of all kinds, including public and private schools, corporations, and religious and humanitarian organizations...
s, a kitchen
Kitchen
A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...
and dining room
Dining room
A dining room is a room for consuming food. In modern times it is usually adjacent to the kitchen for convenience in serving, although in medieval times it was often on an entirely different floor level...
. The interior was damaged by a fire in 1978; it was restored
Building restoration
Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...
and reopened two years later.
Rev. Timoth M. Greco is currently serving as Pastor of the church.