Historical church history by Ray Breun, March 1981. Original chronology is preserved; the inconsistent thirteen-year interval is flagged for editorial review.
Delmar Baptist Congregation will be 104 years old this month.
It was 29 March 1877, Holy Thursday evening, when 125 or so persons met in a frame chapel behind the Central Presbyterian Church at Garrison and Lucas Avenues.
The chapel was closer to Morgan Street (now Delmar Boulevard) on Garrison and the new congregation decided to style itself the Garrison Avenue Baptist Church. That first chapel was only 35 by 70 feet and cost the assembly $718.00.
However, the land it was on was leased.
Two years later, April 1879, the lease ran out and the congregation had to move.
They put the chapel on rollers and moved it down the street two blocks west to the corner of Compton and Morgan Streets. That was the first of many westward moves for that Baptist body. Like most other institutions of St. Louis, it moved west as the city expanded and changed: Still known as the Garrison Avenue Baptist Church, the mid-1880’s found the assembly looking toward Grand Avenue as the new residential area.
They thought about building at the corner of Grand and Washington Avenues.
A gift of $5000.00 for land at the corner of Delmar and Spring changed their minds and the name of their church.
From 1884 to the present, because of the move to Delmar and Spring, the church has been known as the Delmar Baptist Church.
The new building cost $18,000.00, but it was worth it — until the Third Baptist Church moved from Fourteenth and Clark to Grand and Washington in late 1884. That put too much pressure on the smaller Delmar Baptist Church and an attempt was made by Third Baptist to incorporate its smaller competitor. Instead of bowing under, Delmar Baptist bought new land and built a $40,000.00 facility at the corner of Delmar and Pendelton.
This new location was dedicated 25 September 1892.
The congregation had 419 members and a large debt! Less than 13 years later, Delmar Baptist had no debt and no church building.
The last service at the Pendelton and Delmar corner was held 29 August 1915.
The congregation wandered thereafter for nearly four years. Progress toward a final resolution of the problem came on 1 June 1916 when a lot at the corner of Skinker and Washington was purchased from Grace Methodist Church for $10,025.00.
It was 1918, however, before construction could begin.
The war had cut into all plans, and not until 1 October 1918, six weeks before the armistice, was the first spade of dirt turned at the new location. Dedication came during the week of 1-8 June 1919. Special services were held each evening during that ogdoad.
It would take $130,000.00 to pay for it all, but Delmar Baptist Church finally had a home it would keep.
An educational building was added in June 1927, rounding out the physical plant to its current appearance.
A new organ and much interior refurbishment went in during 1974 and 1975.
Two years later, 29 March 1977, the congregation celebrated its centennial anniversary. Like its ecclesiastical neighbors, it contributes directly to the support of SkinkerDeBaliviere Community Council.
The third floor gymnasium as well as the tenant school are part of the educational and recreational fabric of the neighborhood.
The history of this peripatetic congregation presaged its strength and durability. Its new pastor, the Reverend Samuel R. Binch, has 104 years of amazing grace to look back upon in planning and living the present.
Originally published in The Paper, March 1981.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Source says less than13years between1892dedication and1915lastservice; chronologydoesnotreconcile. Original figuresretained, no silent date correction.
Original source: SD_Times1981_03.pdf, printed page(s) 7; PDF page(s) 7.
