The congregation was established in 1890 and this Baptist Church was built in 1910, not long after the first, an indication of how quickly the town was growing at that time. The original 1910 building, a handsome brick edifice, is now used as a hall, known as the Fellowship Hall.
An education wing was added in 1950 and this building, with the new sanctuary, was completed in 1960. Though much more contemporary in style, this sanctuary was built of essentially the same material of the same color as the original and the education wing.
Avant-garde would be one way to describe the bell tower of this church. It was a design quite popular in the '60s and '70s, and can often be used to date a church. It's a simple tower consisting of two tall brick walls with bars between supporting the three bells. Its roof is a complement of the church's roof.
Missoula was a small town on the frontier when First Baptist was established in 1890 as Emmanuel Baptist. The first pastor, Reverend John I. Benedict, came here at the direction of the American Baptist Home Mission Society, a predecessor of American Baptist Churches
USA. The first church building was located on the northwest corner of this block. In 1910, a new building was constructed on the corner of Pine and Woody that now serves as our Fellowship Hall. The education wing was added in 1950 and the new building with the sanctuary was completed in 1960
Through these organizations we support missions locally, nationally, and world wide.
American Baptist Churches USA
www.abc-usa.org
American Baptist Churches of the Northwest
abcnw.org
From The Church