Broadway Baptist Church of Ft. Worth
Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas
Marker Inscription
On December 31, 1882, six men and three women met to organize this congregation. They called the Rev. John Smith Gillispie as their first Pastor. The name South Side Baptist Church was adopted January 14, 1883, at worship services held in a rented hall at 15th and Houston Street. In 1886 the fellowship erected a frame church building on the southwest corner of Broadway and St. Louis Avenue. Four years later the congregational name was changed to Broadway Baptist Church. As the church grew, larger facilities were needed. In 1906 a brick structure replaced the original building. On April 3, 1909, a devastating fire swept Fort Worth's South Side, destroying over 200 structures, including the church building, parsonage, and the homes of 22 member families. Rebuilding started immediately, and a new church structure was completed in 1910. The church complex expanded with the addition of educational facilities. A new sanctuary was begun in 1949 and completed by Easter Sunday in 1952. The membership of Broadway Baptist Church has grown to over 2,500 in its centennial year. At least seven other Baptist churches have been established through the efforts of this congregation. (1982)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Nine people gathered on the last day of 1882 to organize what began as South Side Baptist Church, worshiping in a rented hall before building on Broadway and St. Louis Avenue and taking the name Broadway Baptist in 1890. A devastating 1909 fire that leveled more than 200 South Side structures destroyed the church, parsonage, and members' homes, yet the congregation rebuilt at once. By its centennial it counted over 2,500 members and had helped launch at least seven other Baptist churches.
Why it matters
Its resilience after the great 1909 South Side fire, and its role in seeding new congregations, illustrate how churches anchored and rebuilt fast-growing American cities.
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Related people
- · John Smith Gillispie
Related events
- · 1909 Fort Worth South Side fire
Themes & tags
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