Image of First Baptist Church--c. 1938

This modest stuccoed church has been along Good Avenue since 1910.  Begun in 1887, congregants for the First Baptist Church used to meet in a small structure on the north side of University Avenue east of the Irving Circle Park.  They moved to their current structure in 1910 although the building as has been altered over the years.

Irvington's African-American population dwelled throughout the neighborhood.  Many members of the church lived away from the community and drove in for services.  In this historic image, taken around 1938, church members gathered for a photo.  The young women and ladies are all wearing dresses while the men are in ties.  I am sorry to report that I don't know many of the names in the photo, but this wonderful image is courtesy of the Krys Wagner Family Tree page from Ancestry.com.  Gertrude Higgenbotham, who dwelled at 136 South Sheridan Avenue, joined the church in 1935 and is in this photo.  Her mother joined in 1921.  The Reverend R.H. Noel served as the minister.

The contemporary image shows the structure at 231 Good Avenue on a quiet Saturday morning in the waning days of the summer of 2012.