<Tr> <Th> Designated NHL </Th> <Td> October 9, 1960 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Designated NHLDCP </Th> <Td> November 10, 1970 </Td> </Tr> <P> The First Baptist Church in America is the First Baptist Church of Providence, Rhode Island, also known as First Baptist Meetinghouse . It is the oldest Baptist church congregation in the United States, founded by Roger Williams in Providence, Rhode Island in 1638 . The present church building was erected in 1774--75 and held its first meetings in May 1775 . It is located at 75 North Main Street in Providence's College Hill neighborhood and is a National Historic Landmark . </P> <P> Roger Williams had been holding religious services in his home for nearly a year before he converted his congregation into a Baptist church in 1638 . This followed his founding of Providence in 1636 . For the next sixty years, the congregation met outside in nice weather or in congregants' homes . Baptists in Rhode Island through most of the 17th century declined to erect meetinghouses because they felt that buildings reflected vanity . Eventually, however, they came to see the utility of some gathering place, and they erected severely plain - style meetinghouses like the Quakers . </P>

Who was credited with building the first baptist church in rhode island