Several years ago the Spokane Spokesman-Review began a series of articles featuring "before" and "after" photos of iconic buildings and structures in Spokane, including a short history of the item in question. On January 30, 2012 the subject of the series' article published was Calvary Baptist Church. That article can be read further below. Both photos here, "then", taken circa 1945, and "now", were taken from across 3rd Avenue, looking north.
Founded in 1890, Calvary Baptist Church is the first African-American church in Spokane, and the second African-American church in the State of Washington. It is a charter member of the NAACP. Calvary Baptist broke off from First Baptist Church on Lincoln Street and West 2nd Avenue. This was prior to the construction of the present First Baptist Church, which stands on the same location.
The new congregation of 7 men and women met for the first time on February 16, 1890. Between 1890 and 1919, the church met at 4th Avenue and Pine Street, until they moved to this location on 3rd Avenue. The building was built between 1921-1927, was renovated in 1971-1972 and the Cathedral glass was installed from 1975 to 1978.
Calvary Baptist Church
The dusty town of Spokane Falls, Washington Territory was booming with railroads, timber and mining in the late 19th century and black settlers came looking for new opportunities and a place to call their own. One settler, Rev. Peter Barrow, who was born a slave in 1840, helped found Calvary Baptist Church in 1890. It was Spokane’s first black church and they started meeting at Pines and Fourth St. and a series of other buildings before settling in a wooden church at 213 E. Third. In 1919, the tiny congregation called Rev. Emmett B. Reed, who quickly advocated building a new brick church on the corner of Cowley and Third St. Construction was underway as the Great Depression hit, but the tiny congregation persevered, finishing the church and paying it off by 1939.
The sturdy edifice became a hub of activity in the African-American community. The local NAACP chapter, which Reed helped organize in 1923, met there. The church built a neat little parsonage beween the old and new churches for Pastor Reed in 1944. Reed was known, according to historian Janet Hauck, for visiting Spokane stores and restaurants that posted “No Colored Patronage Solicited” signs and demanding removal of the signs. He led the congregaton until his death in 1961.
From the Spokane Spokesman-Review