NORWICH – The First Baptist Church at 10 W. Park Place in the City of Norwich has long been a staple in the local community, providing residents with traditions rooted in Biblical beliefs in addition to a variety of invaluable community services.

This year, as the City of Norwich celebrates its centennial, the First Baptist Church is honoring a milestone of its own – 200 years as an organization in the heart of the city.

Founded in 1814, the First Baptist Church of Norwich precedes many original founders of the surrounding community. And while the organization has seen a considerable amount of change over the last 200 years, today’s church members say their mission is the one thing that remains the same.

“We chose to make this a year-long celebration as we not only look at all the church has accomplished in the past, but also look forward to the future and the next 200, 300 or 400 years we’re here,” said David Spiegel, Pastor at the First Baptist Church.

To commemorate the 200-year benchmark, church members have established a bicentennial committee to lead a number of celebratory events throughout the year, including a formal celebration on July 26 and 27, and special Sunday services with keynote speakers, many of whom are past leaders of the church, leading up to the event.

“We have accomplished a lot over the last 200 years,” said Bicentennial Committee Co-Chairman Gilbert Harrington, noting the First Baptist Church has been a part of downtown Norwich since James Madison was President. “Just think of all the history this church has seen.”

Although the stone church building on West Park Place was not constructed until 1845, the church itself began as a group of 15 Norwich residents gathered in the house of Jebadiah Randall on the corner of Hickok Avenue and South Broad Street to sign the Articles of Faith and the church covenant in August, 1814. “That house is still there today,” Harrington pointed out.

Three years later, church members constructed a wooden church building on East Main Street near the town square, currently the location of East Park. Decades later, members took up an effort to construct the stone building that currently stands on West Park Place at the cost of $9,000. During construction, the wooden church on the east side of the village burned, and church members met at the Chenango County Courthouse until construction of the stone building was completed.

Since then, the stone church building, comprised of stone from the nearby quarry and from Canasawacta Creek in Norwich, has undergone a number of physical alterations. A bell was installed in the belfry in 1849 (which served as a call to worship and a fire alarm for the city); a second story was added to the east side of the building to accommodate the organ and choir in 1868; a steeple was constructed in 1886; and stained glass windows were installed in 1924.