First Baptist Church of Wetumpka facts for kids
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First Baptist Church of Wetumpka
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 Location in Alabama
Location in the United States
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| Location | 205 West Bridge St., Wetumpka, Alabama |
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| Area | 1.3 acres (0.53 ha) |
| Built | 1846–52 |
| Architect | Lockwood, Frank; Okel & Cooper, et al. |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival, Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 06001101 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 24, 2008 |
The First Baptist Church of Wetumpka is a historic Southern Baptist church located at 205 West Bridge Street in Wetumpka, Alabama. It is made up of several buildings. The most important part was the original brick church building. This building was constructed between 1846 and 1852. Sadly, this original church building was planned to be taken down by May 2020. This was because it was badly damaged by a tornado.
The church property also includes other buildings. There is an educational building from 1928–29. Another educational and office building was added in 1959–60. A newer main church building was built in 1967. Also, an educational wing and fellowship hall were finished in 1991. All these buildings are connected. They are linked by hallways at the back of the property. The original church building is very important. It was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 1977. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
Contents
Church History
The church's story began a long time ago. Its first group of members started as the Coosa River Baptist Church. This church was formed in May 1821. The group moved to Wetumpka in 1837. There, they joined with another church group. They then called themselves the Coosa River Church of Wetumpka. In 1842, they changed their name to First Baptist Church of Wetumpka.
After big fires in the town in 1844 and 1845, the church needed a new home. They started building a new brick church. It was located west of the river. The land for the church was given to them by Seth Paddock Storrs. He was not a Baptist himself. But his wife was a strong Baptist from Massachusetts.
Building the First Church
Building the historic brick church started in 1846. But it took a long time to finish. This was because they did not have enough money. So, the church leaders asked the women of the church for help. The women worked hard to raise money. They held "bake sales, picnics, barbecues and quilt sales." Their efforts helped gather the money needed. The building was finally finished by the spring of 1852. It was officially opened on July 11, 1852.
The church building was changed a lot in 1909. A famous architect named Frank Lockwood from Montgomery made these changes. He almost completely redid the inside of the church. He also replaced the old pointed windows. These were typical of Gothic Revival style. New round stained-glass windows were put in instead.
A New Main Church Building
By the 1960s, the original church building was too small. The church group had grown a lot. So, they decided to build a new main church building. This new building could hold 687 people. It was built next to the old one. Tom B. Kirkland, an architect from Montgomery, designed it. The new church building was opened on July 11, 1967. This was exactly 115 years after the first church was opened.
After the new building was ready, the original church was not used much. By the 1990s, it had become quite old and damaged. Its roof was leaking, causing problems inside. The church members worried about losing the old building. So, they raised money to fix it up completely. They called it the "historic chapel." The repairs were finished in time for a special reopening. This happened on July 11, 1998.
Tornado Damage and Demolition
On January 19, 2019, the original church building was badly damaged. An EF2 tornado hit it. The tornado ripped off the entire roof and the bell tower. Most of the church members voted in 2020 to take down the historic church building. They were worried about its weak support structure. Also, mold had become a big problem inside. The beautiful stained-glass windows and other important items were carefully removed in May 2020. This was done before the building was taken down.
See also
In Spanish: Primera Iglesia Bautista de Wetumpka para niños
