The involvement of Baptists in the Pittsfield area traces back to its beginning.  Soloman Deming, the first settler to come to the frontier “outpost” of Pontoosuck, was a Baptist.  Pontoosuck received the new name of Pittsfield when incorporated on April 26, 1761.

​

The formal beginning of the Baptist Church in Pittsfield soon followed.  The year was 1772, four years before the colonies gained their freedom from Britain. 

​

A Church was born!

• Valentine Rathburn served from 1772 to 1798. In 1798 the majority of its members joined the Shakers.

• October 1800, 15 members met to revitalize the Church. It was reorganized on March 23, 1801.  Membership slowly increased.  In 1827 the Church was granted land on the corner of School and North Streets.  A meeting house was erected and in 1830 a baptistery was built in the Church.

• In 1835, 106 of the Church’s members emigrated to the West. So reducing the body of the Church to leave but three male members.  Growth resumed.

• In 1849, the congregation became a regular incorporated body under the name of “The First Baptist Church of Pittsfield”. The existing meeting house became to small for the congregation and was torn down.  One twice as large was built and dedicated on January 10, 1850.  Membership stood at 3358.

• In 1896, Morningside Baptist Church was formed. 116 members of First Baptist became the nucleus for the new church.  The city of Pittsfield now had two Baptist Churches, one in the South  end of Pittsfield and the other serving the Northern portion.

• In 1909 a Church sponsored chapel was begun in the Elm Street area. For many years a Sunday School and prayer meeting program  had been conducted in rented rooms in the district.  A chapel was built on the corner of Elm Street and Northumberland Road.  This was dedicated on October 5, 1913 to the glory of God.

• On May 25, 1921 the Church unanimously voted to take immediate steps toward the erection of a much needed new church building.  It was decided to build on the corner of South and Church Street.  In 1926 the Parish Hall was dedicated.  Ground was broken for the new sanctuary on May 22, 1929.  The cornerstone was laid on September 15, 1929 and the new structure was dedicated on October 19, 1930.

• In 1950, a passageway was dug under the Sanctuary, making in unnecessary for the choirs to go into the streets in their robes to reach the Narthex.

• In 1996, “Restore the Splendor” was begun. This was a major task of renovation of the Sanctuary, Narthex, Chapel and Assembly Hall.

• In 2015, the roof over the Sanctuary was replaced.

• In 2016, our Cupola as restored.