Program

NYS Historic

Subject

Site

Location

25 High Street, Warwick, NY

Lat/Long

41.258214, -74.357211

Grant Recipient

The Town of Warwick Historical Society

The Old School Baptist Meeting House sits on a knoll in Warwick. It is said you can see it wherever you are in the village. Currently owned by the Town of Warwick Historical Society, the Meeting House was used in the 1997 movie In and Out, starring Kevin Kline and Tom Selleck.

The Warwick Historical Society notes that in the 1950s and 1960s, it took possession of a number of buildings and properties in the town and its villages, including the Old Baptist Meeting House. A book of Records from the Baptist Church of Warwick in the Society archival collections, dating from 1764, shows church minutes throughout the first year. In the first entry, there is a reference to member James Benedict “being silenced by [the Baptist Church of Christ at Strat-field] and other ministers to the work of preaching the gospel.” This provides an interesting window into the influence of Protestantism throughout the colonies. Further reference to “signing the covenant” in the historical document demonstrates that commitment to your faith were conditions of membership.

The Historical Society describes the historic structure in its holding as “an icon of this historic part of the lower Hudson Valley since 1810.” “Magnificently situated” in the center of the historic village, it accommodates 200 people on the ground floor and surrounding galleries. Constructed in 1810, it was designed by Deacon John Foght and built by Azariah Ketchum. Other interesting historical features include the unique wineglass pulpit; a golden dove bearing an olive branch, an original carving emblematic of peace; as well as a 97-foot steeple.

As of 2020, the Meeting House is located at 25 High St. in Warwick, NY. The Society uses the Old Baptist Meeting House as a venue for concerts, wedding, and other indoor and outdoor special events. Its historic charm and pleasant siting on a “stately knoll in Lewis Park” may have been sought after for In and Out’s notable wedding scene.

Links

• Warwick Historical Society