"Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it." --- Psalm 127:1
When First Baptist Church first moved to town, from the area of Mile Branch in 1897, the church house was a white frame structure, complete with steeple, situated on the corner of Cleveland and Self Streets. From the description in the booklet commemorating First Baptist Church's 125th anniversary - my source for this series of columns - the building must have been beautiful, exactly as one might imagine a small, country church. It stood where the all-purpose, education building stands today. And next door on the south side, where the present-day sanctuary sits, a Victorian home was constructed out of wood for the very first parsonage.
But in 1908, tragedy struck. A tornado roared through Franklinton on April 24, 1908, damaging the church itself and destroying the pretty parsonage. The History Committee of the 125th Anniversary - Lillie Mae Ford, Eric Fussell, Vicki Knight, Mildred Magee, Charline McElveen, and Carolyn McElveen - with the assistance of then Pastor Karl Tingle and office staff Barbara Milton and Kelley Lawhon and active church member and artist Terry Seal, assembled and wrote the informative booklet which relayed interesting information on the tragic event. It came from Mr. Daunton Gibbs and Dr. T. W. Gayer who reported that Rev. E. R. Henderson, the Pastor at the time of the tornado, described the horror: "[T]he parsonage literally exploded."
Then, in 1922 the historic brick church building that I fondly remember on the corner of Cleveland and Self streets was constructed. It is where a legion eventually attended Sunday School, learning scripture and studying the books of the Bible. I was in that number. One of the first three masonry or brick church buildings built in our parish, the building was needed in the early twentieth century for our growing church, with Rev. H. E. Pettus as pastor. L. B. Renard drew the plans, and Delos C. Wood was the contractor.
It was a grand two-story building with exterior stairs, a pair situated on each side, leading to the upstairs sanctuary. On the interior, there was a balcony on each side for Sunday School classes. The baptistry, made of concrete, was situated near the pulpit. The church building was originally heated by a furnace that burned wood three feet in length, venting through ducts to the upstairs. And in the beginning, there was a bell in the belfry, but it was later removed due to its damaging weight. All in all, First Baptist Church was beautiful, with its building pretty enough for post cards which were printed for purchase.
Soon thereafter, P. E. Greenlaw was paid the sum of one hundred dollars for property on 10th Avenue, where a new parsonage was constructed in 1930. Wood was salvaged from the old parsonage to be used in the new parsonage, which in 1998 was located next to what was the Eric Fussell home. At that time what had been the new parsonage was used as the Washington Baptist Association Mission Office and also as the apartment of First Baptist's custodian Rudy Causey.
In 1931, a new baptistry, in memory of John Corkern, the son of Rev. C. T. Corkern, was installed in the sanctuary. And then in 1955, that baptistry was given to the Springhill Baptist Church in memory of Rev. C. T. Corkern, the Pastor at Springhill for seventeen years.
A church known as Unity Baptist Church had been founded in Franklinton in 1949. Our church assisted them in locating to northeast Franklinton, near the ball park, and that church became known as the Second Baptist Church. Accordingly, and for additional reasons, our church became First Baptist Church of Franklinton, chartered as such as directed by Delos R. Johnson, Sr., in 1950.
With First Baptist Church attendance burgeoning, to 250 faithful each Sunday, the need for expansion was evident. Ground breaking for a new sanctuary - the present-day sanctuary, the one where many of us were baptized - took place in 1950. The oldest church members - M. A. Thigpen and Mary S. Magee - were honored to shovel the first dirt. Charles J. Gayer assisted Mrs. Magee.
At that time, the church pastor was Dr. A. W. Robbins, and the president of the Woman's Missionary Union was Mrs. Wilferd Bulloch. The Sunday School Superintendent was C. M. Jones, and the chairman of the Building Committee was N. L. Smith. Eric L. Fussell was Chairman of the Board of Deacons and treasurer; Daunton Gibbs was president of the Brotherhood; and Delos J. Magee was chairman of the Regular Finance Committee.
Architect N. S. Stone out of New Orleans was selected to draw the plans, and Kivett and Reel Construction got the building contract for $84,000. And $13,000 - a lot of money in that day - of it was pledged toward the new church building on a single Sunday!
On April 6, 1952, the new church building was dedicated. Dr. T. J. Delaughter, of the New Orleans Seminary, preached the dedication. And very importantly, air conditioning - a critical addition - arrived in August.
•Stay tuned next week for more on structures, and then the pastors, of First Baptist Church of Franklinton.
