Irving Baptist Church Bell - Irving, OK
N 34° 02.489 W 098° 03.153
14S E 587453 N 3767159
The Irving Baptist Church is at 17017 N 2770 Rd at E 2050 Rd, about seven miles northwest of Ryan, OK in the old Irving community. Their old bell stands near the entrance.
Waymark Code: WM11NQY
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 11/22/2019
Views: 2
Atop a small, metal stand, this steel bell appears to have been painted at some point, but that is slowly wearing away. It was produced by the National Bell Foundry Co. in Cincinnati, OH, as identified on the yoke, and can still be rung. Presumably, it has been with this church for a long time, and there is some history to be found: The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009, and the property's
Registration Form indicates why it is significant:
The Irving Baptist Church is representative of the people who settled Jefferson County in the early twentieth century. The architectural style of the building is indicative of their beliefs, but also of the society that they were working to create in this relatively new State. The importance of this building is heightened because it is the only building remaining at the crossroads of Irving, Oklahoma with architectural integrity. The church stands as a remarkable link to Irving’s past for future generations. The Irving Baptist Church is locally outstanding due to its historical connection to the settlement and growth of Jefferson County, as well as the integrity of its architecture.
They describe its architecture as "restrained Gothic Revival style", featuring a steeply pitched roof, gable ends with decorative details, and walls that extend to the eaves. There is more functionality to the sanctuary than there is flash.
The Kiowa-Comanche-Apache Reservation was opened up to a lottery in 1901, resulting in a land run that populated the area. By 1903, there was a church about six miles away in the Lookout community, Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, which took on the name "White Chapel" after they built a sanctuary -- this sanctuary -- in 1917. When the Irving Consolidated School was built (just across the road from here), families from the area communities moved here, and White Chapel made the journey, too, as their membership numbers dwindled. They became the Irving Baptist Church and their sanctuary was relocated to this site in 1928. There were some later changes, including the addition of brick, which explains why the building's cornerstone references "1933".
Irving itself included a school, gas station, two stores, a community center, and eventually a parsonage, but despite having survived the Depression and the Dust Bowl storms, by the 1950s, relocation to the cities and difficulties in maintaining local farms prompted the closure of the Irving Consolidated School in 1957. Today, Irving remains a rural community, but much smaller in size with less activity. Be careful as you drive those county roads, as they can be bumpy when dry and impassable when wet.
For those who keep track, Chuck Norris was born in Ryan, OK. The church itself is well-maintained, and has a small, private presence on Facebook. They meet at 11 AM, with Sunday school an hour earlier.