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First Baptist Church
The
First Baptist Church was built in
1921 at 701 Kimbark Street in Longmont in the Classical Revival style
of architecture. According to newspaper accounts of the day, the
church was designed by a Mr. Martin, an architect from East Liverpool,
Ohio. Carlow Brothers of Longmont was awarded a contract to
furnish gravel, and Arthur Dalby was awarded a contract for
cement.
A
Baptist Church congregation was organized in Longmont in the winter and
spring of 1890. They worshiped at a church located at the northeast
corner of Main Street and 6th Avenue for 20 plus years. As they
outgrew that building they purchased the land and built the new church
located at the corner of Longs Peak and Kimbark.
When
actual construction of the church was begun in about 1919, many men of
the congregation, laid off from their regular jobs, donated work to the
church digging the basement, carpentering, and later laying bricks. The
building program progressed under the leadership of Reverend Edward G.
Lane (note second cornerstone pictured below). The church’s
cost was estimated at between $40,000 and
$48,000 and was paid off in October 1928.
The current church members
are seeking Longmont Historic Landmark status as part of the overall
process to apply for Colorado State Historical funds to help offset the
cost of repair of many of the stained glass windows located throughout
the church.
For more information on the progress of this project, please contact Shelly Flannery at (970) 629-3685.
References:
“A Baptist Church was organized…” Longmont Ledger, April 11, 1890, p. 3.
“The Baptists Have Rally.” Longmont Ledger, February 25, 1921, p. 1.
“Baptists Raise Over $32,000.” Longmont Ledger, February 25, 1921, p. 1.
“Baptists Rejoice Over Burning of Mortgage.” Longmont Ledger, October 1,2 1928, p. 1.
"The Centennial Hisotry of the First Baptist Church", First Baptist Church, 1990.
"East Side Neighborhood: Historic Context and Survey Report", Cultural Resource Historians, April 24, 2001.
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