Some History

Calvary Baptist Church at 988 Post Road was first built in 1851 as the home of the Methodist Church of Darien.  It was a modest place of worship with a single aisle through the middle and where ladies were seated on one side and gentlemen on the other.

On May 14, 1887 the church was totally destroyed by fire.  (The burn marks are still apparent on the stone foundation in the basement.)  At that time, there was no fire protection service in Darien. The small but faithful Methodist congregation rebuilt the church and on March 11, 1888, the first day of the Blizzard of 1888, the new Methodist Church and parsonage were dedicated.

In 1909 a new chapel was built, and new pews, memorial windows and a pipe organ were installed.

In 1926 the church was in need of financial support and two bowling alleys were built directly onto the church.  The bowling alleys were financially successful but were replaced in 1958 with Sunday School rooms. Also in 1958 a new parsonage was built on Chester Road.

The Methodist purchased land on Middlesex Road in 1966 to build a new church.  The church at 988 Post Road was sold in February, 1968 for $97,000 to Calvary Baptist Church.

This church is a fine example of Carpenter Gothic Ecclisiastical archetecture.

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