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The intersection of Genesee Street and Brooks was once known as Castle Town. It was established by two brothers whose names were James and William Wardsworth. In Castle Town, the place where Brooks Avenue met the Genesee River, was known as the Rapids. This was the place where most settlers crossed the river.
As the Rapids became a very busy place, it was realized as a future metropolis. And by 1800 James Wardsworth built a tavern. It was said to be the first tavern in the Genesee Country. So, the habitants started drinking early. The stress of trying to settle brought about death for many. The first community cemetery was placed on Congress Avenue in 1812.
In 1818 a new village was organized under the leadership of Col. Nathaniel Rochester. This village was called Rochesterville. It became the greater commercial thoroughfare with the building of the Erie Canal. But the Rapids continued to strive. Congress was Chester St.; Woodbine was Hazel St. and Custer was Birch.
Home and school went hand in hand. The children went to school that was located on the corner of Brooks and Maxwell until 1869. In 1869 Seward School (#19) was built at Reynolds and Magnolia. This was the major secondary school for learning of the Rapids until the Lewis H. Morgan school (# 37) in 1913. By 1905 West High was built. It was so filled to capacity that in 1922 the Madison High School was built.
Those days were marked by drunkenness and vice in the Rapids. It had become known as one of the most notoriously immoral communities in western New York. So Otis Turner decided that something had to be done. It was in his house with the assistance of his daughters Helen and Charlotte Turner that this church had its beginnings. Their home was located on Brooks Ave. across from Kron Street. In 1858 Augustus Hopkins Strong was persuaded to preach for a time at the Rapids Sunday School. He was a student in the Rochester Theological Seminary and his preaching was marked by the conversion of a number of people. (Later Strong became one of the distinguished preachers of the Northern Baptist Convention and was president of the Colgate Rochester Divinity from 1872-1912. Different students from the divinity school followed Dr. Strong.
From Sunday school in their home it became a mission of the First Baptist Church of Rochester. In 1868 a church was built on Genesee St. and Terrance Park on land that had been donated by Edward Frost. In 1871 this church was organized as the First Baptist Church of the Rapids. St. Monica's was established in 1898 and Third Church of Christ, Scientist, moved into a building on Marsh Street in 1926. On March 10, 1915 this church was incorporated and became the "Genesee Baptist Church:.
In 1922 the present building at 149 Brooks was built and the already existing church on Terrace Park became the annex. which is now the memorial parlor
The first long term pastor was the Rev. Byron Caldwell. Under the leadership of its pastors, this church has continued to be the leaders for the service of the Lord..
"We will move forward through the ages."
Click here to see detailed Church History in pdf format with text and pictures.
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