Union Baptist Church (New Rochelle, New York)

Union Baptist Church
File:UnionBaptistChurch.jpg
General information
Architectural style	Neo-Romanesque
Address	438 Main Street
Town or city	New Rochelle, New York
Coordinates
Completed	1904
Destroyed	February 14, 2011
Design and construction
Architect	Arthur Bates Jennings

Union Baptist Church was a historic house of worship located in Downtown New Rochelle, in Westchester County, 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 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, 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.