Union Baptist Church was a historic house of worship located in Downtown

New Rochelle New Rochelle (; older french: La Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the seventh-largest in the state o ...

, in

Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...

, New York. The church was added to Westchester Inventory of Historic Places in 1994, chosen for its cultural and historical characteristics as well as for its

Neo-Romanesque Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...

edifice and unique architectural details.

History

Two different congregations compose the cultural heritage of the church. It was originally built by the predominantly white Salem Baptist Church congregation. The current congregation, Union Baptist Church, is one of New Rochelle's earliest black religious organizations. The church was designed by architect Arthur Bates Jennings, who configured the building's interior using the

Akron Plan The Akron Plan was a scheme for the design of churches and other religious buildings that housed Sunday schools. It was characterized by a set of wedge-shaped classrooms that radiated from the direction of a central superintendent's platform. D ...

, an open spatial arrangement that is seen in only a few Westchester churches today. His use of ceiling stenciling was also unique and this church is the only one in the county to possess such detailing. On February 14, 2011 a 5-alarm fire ripped through the historic building, destroying much of the interior structure. The building was demolished a day after the blaze.After the fire, the demolition
''Sound Shore.'' February 15, 2013. Accessed October 6, 2013 The congregation now worships in temporary premises a block away at 466 Main St. New Rochelle. Website
www.ubcnr.com

References

{{New Rochelle, New York Churches in New Rochelle, New York Baptist churches in New York (state) Religious organizations established in 1831 19th-century Baptist churches in the United States 1831 establishments in New York (state) Churches completed in 1904 Burned religious buildings and structures in the United States Former churches in New York (state) Destroyed churches Demolished churches in New York (state) Buildings and structures demolished in 2011