Preston — The Preston City Bible Church will celebrate its 200th anniversary in the coming week with historical re-enactors, tours of the church by guides taking on early church members’ personas and demonstrations of early 19th-century skills.

But don’t expect a re-enactment of the baptism of young Polly Tyler, credited with launching the Baptist movement in Preston in 1811 that led to the forming of the lasting congregation.

Polly, so the story goes, at age 16 became enamored of the scriptures she had read and wanted to join the growing Baptist movement in Groton with a full-immersion baptism.

On March 4, 1811, with a crowd gathered, participants cut a channel in the 18-inch thick ice in Amos Lake to figuratively “bury” Polly with Christ beneath the surface.

The experience moved others to join her in the frigid ritual, and Preston has been home to a Baptist church ever since.

Funds were raised and the meetinghouse, located at 293 Route 164 just south of the Route 165 intersection, was built in 1812. The congregation now has about 80 to 100 attendees at Sunday service, said Mike Riegel, chairman of the deacon board at the church.

What was known for nearly two centuries as the Preston City Baptist Church started as a branch of the Groton church, but on Oct. 10, 1815, the church became an independent congregation. In 1984, the congregation changed its name to the Preston City Bible Church.

It’s the 1815 date that the congregation will mark as its bicentennial, Riegel said.

An eight-day celebration will begin Saturday with an open house from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. that will feature tours of the church with church members donning period garb and taking on the personas of early church members.

On the grounds, Erich and Janice Steinhagen of Griswold will demonstrate early 19th-century pottery making, along with spinning and weaving.

Robert Whatley of Ashford will make candles in period fashion — by dipping, no molds, no pouring — and wood carver James Easton of North Windham will create a period broom starting with a single piece of wood.

Next door, Peter Leibert will open the historic blacksmith shop for tours as well, although the forge will not be running, Riegel said.

The church will serve hot apple cider and cookies during the open house.

The celebration will continue through Nov. 1 with guided tours through the week and a three-day Bible conference next weekend, starting Friday, Oct. 30, at 2 p.m. The first segment at 2:30 p.m. will be on the history of the church.

Three former church pastors will return to participate in the conference, including the Rev. Ron McMurray, the longest-serving pastor who served from 1975 through 1997.

The public is invited to participate in all aspects of the celebration, Riegel said. The Bible conference will be divided into segments on various religious topics posted on the church’s website, www.prestoncitybible.org.

The Oct. 31 conference will run from 9 a.m. to 9:15 p.m., with lunch and dinner served at no charge for participants at the nearby Preston City Fire Department.

Parking for the open house and other events is available on the church grounds. Overflow parking is available on Old Shetucket Turnpike and at the old town library — now the Preston Historical Society headquarters — across the street.

No parking is allowed on Route 164.

c.bessette@theday.com

Twitter: @Bessettetheday

UBox:

Preston City Bible Church bicentennial celebration:

Saturday, Oct. 24 through Sunday, Nov. 1.

Saturday Oct. 24 open house tours of church and adjacent blacksmith shop, re-enactment craft demonstrations 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Location: 293 Route 164, Preston.

Free and open to the public.

For full schedule, go to www.prestoncitybible.org.