First Baptist Church - Sweetwater, TX
Posted by: 
WalksfarTX
N 32° 28.321 W 100° 24.432
14S E 367762 N 3593629
Two sanctuaries sit side beside. The "old" sanctuary erected in 1923 and the "new" sanctuary in 1960.
Waymark Code: WM105Z3
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 03/04/2019
Views: 1
Historical Marker:
"Organized on December 11, 1881, by the Reverend Peter Turner (1812-1892), a native of England, this church served settlers of the pioneer railroad town of Sweetwater. The congregation's first church building, a frame structure with an ornate steeple, was completed in 1882 on the corner of 4th & Elm Streets. Several other denominations shared the building for a time. Church members have organized four Baptist missions in Sweetwater beginning with the Lamar Street mission in 1912. To accommodate the increasing membership, new sanctuaries were built in 1924 and 1960."
Abilene Reporter-News 14 Jan 1960
"This 70-foot octagon-shaped slainless steel spire was erected at the new Sweetwater First Baptist Church sanctuary and fellowship building Monday afternoon. The new building should he completed about April 1, Dr. LeRay Fowler, pastor, said. Three leaded stained glass windows, each 25 feet tall and two feet wide will go on the spire. One of the tallest structures in the citv, it will he noted on future aerial maps, the pastor said. The building, together with its modern furnishings, will cost more than $300,000."