Saint James Second Street Baptist Church - Fort Worth, TX - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

The sanctuary is also a City of Fort Worth Landmark and a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. A 1986 Texas Historical Marker noting the latter status provides some history:

Founded in 1895 by the Rev. J. Francis Robinson and members of Mt. Gilead Baptist Church, St. James Baptist Church, first met in the local Y.M.C.A. building. Construction of this building began in 1913, and services were held in the basement until the sanctuary was completed in 1918. The red brick building, featuring elements of the Gothic Revival style, is simply detailed with shallow brick reliefs and patterns, cast stone, and art glass windows.

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The church has a marker of its own, with a little bit of history, and some background about its activities:

Greater St. James Missionary Baptist Church was organized in 1895 by Reverend J. Francis Robinson with thirty members. Following Reverend Robinson as pastors were: Revs. J.A. Fisher, W.F. Lawson, J.P. Pruitt, J.B. Slaughter, W.H. Burroughs, W.M. Conner, J.M. Winn, W.S. Brent, O.P. Felder, C.A. Holliday, Bobby Webber, Jerry Wm. Dailey, and R.C. Johnson.

The Church built a "Mission Station" in Liberia, Africa, between the years of 1911 and 1940. Money was provided for Eliza George Davis, a missionary in Africa, who was stranded on the Rock of Gibraltar [sic], England with three African children. Many African children were able to receive an education in America and return home to their native land to serve others in Africa, sponsored by the Women’s Missionary Society of the Church.

In 1912, a special divinity school for ministers was established at Greater St. James Baptist Church. The first Vocational School On the Job Training Program for Blacks was held in the basement under the auspices of the Fort Worth Independent School District.

Greater St. James Baptist Church opened its doors to the graduating classes, their families, and friends of I.M. Terrell High School for many years. Prior to the building of this beautiful church edifice, there was no facility large enough to accommodate this population.

Greater St. James Baptist Church has been a center of all religious life in the city of Fort Worth. The Church has served as Host to the National Baptist Convention of America, the National and State Sunday School and Baptist Training Union Congress, the St. John Landmark District Association, the National Association of Federated Colored Women’s Clubs, the National Music Association and the Masonic Grand Lodge Services.

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This one of just a few surviving historic buildings in an old African American neighborhood, "The Hill", where modernization is taking place today. The south wing was the section of the building that was completed in 1918, while the north wing was constructed around 1922, with an addition made in 1949. The National Register's Continuation Sheet (see Secondary Website 1, below) notes that the building was designed by local architect Frank J. Singleton, and the work on the south wing was done by George R. Powell, a local African American contractor. As to its eligibility for the National Register, this is one of only a few buildings in the city that can be documented as having been constructed by an African American contractor, and even more special is that it's a Late Gothic Revival church building constructed for an African American congregation.

Street address: 210 Harding St Fort Worth, TX USA 76201 County / Borough / Parish: Tarrant Year listed: 1999 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1900-1924 Historic function: Religion Current function: Religion Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Secondary Website 2: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   03/19/2022 QuesterMark visited it