Calvary Baptist Church - Oklahoma City, OK - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

This is a striking two-story brick building, with full exposed basement on the northeast corner of 2nd and Walnut Streets on the east side of Oklahoma City. Its importance in history lies, not just in its unusual architecture and beauty, but in the role it has played in the culture of the African-American community and the Civil Rights Movement.

It was designed and built in 1922-1923 by Russell Benton Bingham (1880-1966), a graduate of the Tuskegee Institute in Architecture, and a member of the congregation, for a cost of $50,000. The style is Gothic Revival, with dark brick and lavishly decorated stone trim. It is primarily a square building, with a two-story sanctuary. Bi-level seating extends on three sides of the large room. All classrooms and offices are on the basement level. Beautiful stained glass windows are the focal point of the exterior. Many of the stained glass windows were destroyed during the Murrah Bombing in April of 1995, but have been replaced.

Around all windows and doors, stone blocks and trim give an unusual and ornate beauty to the building. Windows on the second floor have arches, as does the main entrance. Stained glass panes fill all windows on the upper floors.

Calvary Baptist Church was the center of cultural activity in the African-American community, hosting the commencement ceremonies for Douglas High School between 1903 and 1934 and serving as the meeting place for many conventions and church and civic activities. The building has been visited by dignitaries including Walter Reuther, Adam Clayton Powell and Martin Luther King.

Youth from the church began sit-ins at Oklahoma City restaurants in August 1958. They would meet at the church, march into town, sit and wait to be served, and then march back to the church (all peacefully). This continued for several years and by mid-1961, more than 175 Oklahoma City restaurants served Negroes. During this period, the church received bomb threats, but they were not deterred.

In 2001, unexpectedly and not thoroughly appreciated by the local community, the church left the Baptist organization and changed its name. The vintage Calvary Baptist Church sign was removed and it is currently occupied by Covenant Life Family Worship Center, a Pentecostal congregation.

Street address: 300 N. Walnut Avenue Oklahoma City, OK US 73101 County / Borough / Parish: Oklahoma Year listed: 1978 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Person, Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1950-1974, 1925-1949, 1900-1924 Historic function: Religion Current function: Religion Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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