First Baptist Church of Ossining

First Baptist Church of Ossining
West and south elevation, 2009
Basic information
Location	Ossining, NY, USA
Geographic coordinates	41°9′40″N 73°51′42″W / 41.16111°N 73.86167°W / 41.16111; -73.86167
Affiliation	Baptist
Country	United States of America
Leadership	The Rev. Dr. Gordon S. Anderson
Website	Historic First Baptist Church of Ossining
Architectural description
Architect(s)	J. Walsh
Architectural type	John Hoff
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
Completed	1874
Construction cost	$75,000
Specifications
Direction of façade	South
Materials	Brick, wood and slate
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Added to NRHP	January 12, 1973
NRHP Reference no.	73001288

The First Baptist Church of Ossining is located in the center of the village of Ossining, New York, United States. It is a brick building in the Gothic Revival architectural style with a tall wooden steeple built in the 1870s, one of Ossining's most prominent landmarks. In 1973 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Sixteen years later, in 1989, it was included as a contributing property to the Downtown Ossining Historic District when it was listed on the Register.

First Baptist, begun in late 18th-century prayer meetings, is the oldest religious congregation in Ossining. Founder Elijah Hunter, who also established Ossining, began holding regular prayer meetings at his house in 1786. In the church's early years, masters and slaves held equal standing as congregants. The church was later instrumental in helping establish black churches in the area.

The church lot takes up most of the triangular block at the crossroads where Ossining was first established, between Main Street on the northwest, Church Street on the southwest, and South Highland Avenue (U.S. Route 9) on the east. Ellis Place is directly opposite the church. The block is just south of the intersection with Croton Avenue (New York State Route 133).

On the northern tip of the triangle is a former bank building. The opposite side of Main Street is lined with a row of two-story 19th-century brick commercial buildings. Just west of the church, as the terrain slopes gently toward the Hudson River, the trail following the Old Croton Aqueduct, a National Historic Landmark, crosses Main. Across Church is a large parking lot between two larger commercial buildings. Ossining High School is a short distance to the southeast on the east side of South Highland. Immediately opposite the church are houses south of Ellis and another house of worship, Trinity Episcopal Church, on the north corner.