- Building: Main Sanctuary/Chapel
- Address: 200 W. Madison Street
- Architect: Norris G. Starkweather (finished by Edmund G. Lind)
- Builder: Edmund G. Lind (likely)
- Style: Gothic Revival
- Date: 1855-1859, Spire Added 1873-1875
- Steeple: Tallest in Baltimore at 273 feet
- Exterior Material: New Brunswick red freestone
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973
First & Franklin Presbyterian Church is a landmark in Baltimore City listed and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is considered the masterpiece of architect Norris Garshom Starkweather. The New Brunswick brownstone church is recognized as one of Maryland’s most impressive examples of Gothic Revival architecture. Innovative use of structural cast iron permitted the 1873-1875 addition of the slender and iconic 273-foot-tall pinnacle spire – still the tallest in Baltimore – to soar high above the surrounding masonry buildings. Religious spirit and inspiration are portrayed inside and out by elongated arches and elaborate symbolism, including the trinity of the central spire flanked by steeples and reredos behind the chancel. The ornate and intricate plaster ceiling suspended thirty feet below the roof framing is a key feature of the church sanctuary. Widely considered the finest example of interior Victorian plasterwork in the USA, the ceiling appears heavy yet is not by supported by columns.
