The church was founded in 1847, and its first sanctuary was at 50
West 23rd Street, completed in 1854. It then moved to a red sandstone Gothic church designed by
John Rochester Thomas at its current location, which was built in 1883–1884. It also had a chapel at 223
West 67th Street, which was later used by St. Matthew's Roman Catholic Church. In 1923, Calvary became one of the earliest churches to operate its own radio station and has since maintained a long tradition of widely followed
religious broadcasts. "Tell It From Calvary" is a radio show that the church still produces weekly; it is heard on
WMCA. The building at 123 West 57th Street was an early example of an urban high-rise, or "skyscraper", church, a 16-story building which also included the Hotel Salisbury, an apartment hotel. Planning for the edifice began in 1929, with the design credited to the firm of
Jardine, Hill & Murdock, and the building was dedicated in 1931. Two
Steinway grand pianos were donated to the church by pianist
Van Cliburn, who attended periodically while living in the hotel.
Richard Nixon and
Bill Clinton have worshipped at Calvary.
Billy Graham and
Billy Sunday have preached there. In 2019, Alchemy and ABR Investment Partners announced that they would acquire the sites at 123–141 West 57th Street from the Calvary Baptist Church. The developers planned to replace these sites with a 26-story tower containing a church sanctuary, offices, and shops. In early 2020, Calvary Baptist Church and the Salisbury Hotel closed in preparation for demolition. Following a delay due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, Alchemy Properties acquired the church in 2021 and announced plans to redevelop the site. Demolition began in 2022, and the next year, the church leased space at a synagogue on
86th Street. ==Senior pastors==