Union Baptist Church, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Union Baptist Church, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Situated on Main St. in Cambridge in a rapidly changing community, Union Baptist Church has been an institution of the city certainly contributing in many ways to the well being of its citizens. As someone who has worked nearby for many years, it is remarkable what you can walk by frequently, take for granted, and never take time to appreciate. This unusual church, a mostly wooden structure with gothic features and a slate roof hides amongst the remnants of a past industrial age, triple decker tenement buildings, and a growing skyline of glass and metal, bohemian boutiques and cafes, all in the shadow of MIT.


I like to write a bit about these community anchors on these posts rather than simply sharing photographs. The history is always fascinating and Union Baptist has great resources to this regard on their website. In the late 1800s this congregation had its beginnings in the basements of residents, and it evolved into a prominent African American Church in Cambridge, founded by former slaves and sharecroppers after the end of the Civil War. This current structure was built in 1882, and remodeled several times, lastly in 1992.

Between an informative website and an active Facebook page Union Baptist appears to be a very vibrant pillar in the community.

The lighting wasn't the best for the pictures


A great way to see how churches enrich the communities they are in is to look at their ministries page on their website. Many ministries including community outreach provide activities and ways to pay it forward. I think people generally take for granted how much charity work, and how many social contributions are made by faith based organizations. The history page goes further to detail how the church had contributed to the community in times of distress providing food, heat, and other forms of assistance.




I would have liked to share photos of the interior but for many churches the only way to experience it is by attending a service. I also could not find anything to link to, the website is very focused on community and mission, as it should be.

Union Baptist also shares their space with a Korean Methodist Church. In my exploration I've noticed this is a very common practice, and is a constructive way to ensure these spaces are used to their full capacity and preserved in the future.

Text and photographs by George Parks
Sources are embedded in links



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