Delaware Avenue Baptist Church, Buffalo

Founded in 1874 as the Olivet Chapel, the Delaware Avenue Baptist Church began as a modest Sunday School in Buffalo’s North Street area. Early services were held in a converted carpenter’s shop, with the first sermon delivered by Rev. Hotchkiss on September 13 of that year. By 1882, with growth on the horizon, the congregation formally organized as Olivet Baptist Church and completed a new chapel in early 1883. Shortly after, the name was changed to Delaware Avenue Baptist Church.

Rapid growth soon created the need for a larger facility. Following several property exchanges, the congregation secured its current site on Delaware Avenue, just north of Bryant Street. The new church, designed in the Richardson Romanesque style by architect and congregation member John H. Coxhead, opened its doors for worship on January 30, 1895.

Distinguished by a striking stained-glass dome, the building also features three floors of meeting and office space, a 700-square-foot kitchen, and a spacious 6,500-square-foot main hall with a full basement. The interior is richly adorned with elaborate mosaics, stained-glass panels, and large canvases. Additional highlights include a soaring pipe organ, a finely detailed altar, and the church’s signature ornate dome.

Throughout its history, the church has served over 3,700 members and continues to be active with about 250 members today. Offerings include Sunday School, Growth and Development classes, weekly worship services, and Wednesday evening Bible Study. Governance is overseen by a Church Council and Board of Trustees, with terms ranging from one to three years.

More than a place of worship, the Delaware Avenue Baptist Church remains a lasting symbol of community growth, architectural beauty, and spiritual heritage in Buffalo.