effort that removed Victorian additions to the building, returning much of the church's interior to its original appearance. Notably absent from the interior is a gallery originally constructed on the church's western side for use by slaves and free black residents of Providence. The building was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1960, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. Architecture The building was designed by astronomer and amateur architect Joseph Brown. Brown's design borrowed significantly from the designs English architect James Gibbs published in his 1728 Book of Architecture. The church's steeple, for example, is an exact execution of one of three unbuilt designs for the spire of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Today In addition to weekly worship services, the Meeting House hosts concerts, talks, and lectures by world-renowned artists, performers, academics, and elected officials. Brown University holds commencement services of its undergraduate college at the meetinghouse. In 2001, History professor J. Stanley Lemons wrote a history of the church, entitled First: The History of the First Baptist Church in America Affiliations The First Baptist Church in America is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island (ABCORI) and the American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA). The church actively supports the Rhode Island State Council of Churches, the National Council of Churches, the Baptist World Alliance, and the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. Many members have served in various denominational, academic, and divinity school positions, including the presidency of Brown University. Gallery Settled ministers (sometimes simultaneous pastorships) Roger Williams, 1638–39 Chad Brown, 1639 – before 1650 Thomas Olney, 1639–1652 William Wickenden, 1642–1670 Gregory Dexter, 1654–1700 Pardon Tillinghast, 1681–1718 Ebenezer Jenckes 1719–1726 James Colvin 1725-1755 James Brown 1726–1732 Samuel Winsor, 1733–1758 Thomas Burlingame 1733–1764 Samuel Winsor Jr, 1759–1771 James Manning, 1771–1791 John Stanford, 1788–1789 Jonathan Maxcy, 1791–1792 Stephen Gano MD, 1792–1828 Robert Pattison, 1830–36 William Hague, 1837–40 Robert Pattison, 1840–1842 James Granger, 1842–1857 Francis Wayland, 1857–1858 Samuel Caldwell, 1858–1873 Edward G. Taylor, 1875–1881 Thomas Edwin Brown, 1882–1890 Henry Melville King, 1891–1906 Elijah Abraham Hanley, 1907–1911 John F. Vichert, 1912–1916 Albert B. Cohoe, 1916–1920 Arthur W. Cleaves, 1922–1940 Albert C. Thomas, 1941–1954 Homer L. Trickett, 1955–1970 Robert G. Withers, 1971–1975 Richard D. Bausman, 1976–1982 Orland L. Tibbetts, 1983–1986 Dwight M. Lundgren, 1983–1996 Kate Harvey Penfield, 1987–1995 Clifford R. Hockensmith, 1997–1999 James C. Miller, 2000–2005 Dan Ivins, 2006–2014 Jamie P. Washam, 2015– See also List of tallest buildings