Central Baptist Church, 515 North Fourth Street, Muskogee

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS OKLA,51-MUSK,1-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Central Baptist Church is the second oldest black Baptist church in Muskogee having been constructed in one year after Oklahoma became a state. It is one of the three oldest social institutions in Muskogee1 s black community. Central Baptist Church served the spiritual and social needs of Muskogee1s black community for 77 years, it was last used by the congrega- tion for religious services on Sunday, March 31, ar X* tgSTOKIQa.

XNTQPHflTIQN (NOTE: This description and the information above is updated and adapted from NPS Form National Register M Historic Places, Inventory Nomination Form for Black Protestant Churches of Muskogee, dated February, From its founding in Muskogee quickly developed as the major urban center of Indian Territory, with suitable soil for cotton production, the town soon emerged as a principle trading, storage, and processing center for cotton producers. Muskogee also became a major rail center for Indian CENTRAL BAPTIST (Central Missionary Baptist Church) HABS NO.

(Page 2) Territory as three railroads laid tracks through the town during the period from to In oil and gas fields were opened in the surrounding area and one of Indian Territory's first petroleum refineries was completed in Muskogee shortly thereafter. By there were six railroads with fourteen passenger trains daily and Muskogee became division headquarters for the Katy, Missouri Southern, Muskogee Union, and the Pullman railroad companies. Muskogee boasted three cotton gins, a cotton compress, a vitrified brick plant, a concrete block plant, two daily and four weekly newspapers. These facilities helped Muskogee1 s population to boom. In the City's population had reached and it was the second largest city in the new state of Oklahoma, exceeded only by Oklahoma City.

The industrial and commercial growth of Muskogee made it an attractive urban center for black migrants seeking employment, especially those who were living in the rural areas of eastern Oklahoma. Historically, the black population of Oklahoma had been concentrated in old Indian Territory because the black freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes had settled there following the Emancipation Proclamation of A majority of the all-black towns, a movement of the and early had also been established in that area. Muskogee's population in consisted of black people 31 percent of the population. Its thriving black community had a business district which included several retail stores, physicians' and attorneys' offices, a bank, and a newspaper, the Muskogee Cimeter.

Black residential and commercial development was accompanied by the establishment of social institutions including schools, fraternal organizations, and churches. CamtAL BAPTIST A (Central Missionary Baptist Church) ^ NO. (Page 3) Organized religion among black people in Indian Territory dates to the when the Five Civilized Tribes brought black slaves from the southeastern United States. The most active denominations among black people in Indian Territory were the Baptists and Methodists who undertook successful missionary work in the region. Built in the year after Oklahoma became a state, the Central Baptist Church is representative of the one social institution in their lives religion over which black people had significant control.

The churches, as a result, exerted a powerful influence within Muskogee!s black coranunity. They served as central points to which their members could turn for spiritual inspiration and at least temporary escape from secular problems. 9 By providing opportunities for education, expression, recognition and perhaps most important leadership, the churches proved to be vehicles for advancement in a segregated society. Central Baptist Church was the second black Baptist church in Muskogee and the third black Protestant church overall. It was built to serve Muskogee fs growing black community which numbered approximately people by It reflected the fact that black people in Oklahoma were overwhelmingly affiliated with the Baptist denomination.

(NOTE: The following information was obtained from Beatrice C. H. Compassi in an interview conducted by Joseph L. Marsan of the Muskogee Urban Renewal Authority, on May 20, Ms. Compassi, age 75 years, has been an active fe member of the Central Baptist Church for 56 years, having moved to Muskogee in from Eufaula, Oklahoma. Her information Concerning early events in the CENTRAL BAPTIST (Central Missionary Baptist Church) HABS No. (Page 4) Church's history was obtained in an interview she conducted with Ms. L. B. Burton, the last surviving charter member of the Church. The interview reportedly occured circa. shortly before Ms. Burton's death.) The Central Baptist Church was organized in the fall of with eight members.

A wood-frame church occupied the site prior to the brick church's construction in The Church's first pastor was Reverend F. K. White who served two (separated in time) terms as pastor. In its eighty-four year history, the church has had twelve ministers. The present pastor is Reverend James White. The present membership in the church is approximately one-hundred and eighty. At its peak, the congregation numbered approximately five-hundred members. The congregation is meeting at a temporary location and is building a new church at the corner of Georgetown and Fourteenth Streets in Muskogee.

2&ECH* AftCHITM MURAL DFOBMBnOW; (NOTE: This description is updated and adapted from NPS Form cited above.) The Central Baptist Church is a 40' x one-story, detached, religious building situated in the northern part of the City of Muskogee, Oklahoma. The building has a hipped roof with a lower cross gable, and is intersected by two, two-story towers at the east end. The rear section of the CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH (Central Missionary Baptist Church) BABS No. (Page 5) building has a flat roof with a stepped parapet wall. The main body of the building is constructed of red brick laid in the running board with a header course every seventh row. The.rear section is constructed of concrete blocks. There are four single stack, red brick, interior chimneys in the building.

The front, or east side, of the building has a tower in both the northeast and southeast corners. The former has a tent roof with a bell-like flare. The first story of this tower has a metal door set in a wooden frame, with a single transom light and segmented wooden arch above. There are two, double-hung, sash windows on the north side of the tower. These first floor windows have ashlar sills and brick, soldier laid, semielliptical arches above. The second story of this tower has two wooden window frames with semielliptical brick arches on both the north and east sides. The openings are covered with louvered windows. The second tower on the east side has a battlement wall at the top.

The entrance door is a double, wooden framed one of panelled construction, with two transom lights and a semielliptical brick arch above. There are two, double hung sash windows with wooden frames, ashlar sills and brick arches on the south side of the tower. The second story of the tower has four wooden window frames with semielliptical brick arches. The openings, two on the east and two on the south side, are covered with louvered windows. The central section between the two towers has three wooden framed windows with ashlar sills and semielliptical brick arches above. Two of the windows have 2/2 lights, the other has 4/4 lights. All these windows are of the double-hung, sash-type.

In the gable of this side of the building, is a circular arrangement of rowlock laid bricks which could possibly have contained a porthole window, but is now bricked in. CEN2SAL BRETCST CHORCH (Central Missionary Baptist Church) No. (Page 6) The north and south sides of the building are constructed in a similar fashion. Under the gable roof section there are five wooden framed, double-hung sash windows with ashlar sills and semielliptical brick arches above. One of the windows on the south side has 4/4 lights. There is a wooden ventilator grille located in the intersecting gable. The concrete block section has four windows and a door on each side, north and south. The windows have wooden frames, with 1/1 lights and are of the double-hung, sash-type. The door has a wooden frame.

The rear or west end of the building has a wooden panelled central entrance door. Either side of this is a wooden window frame which has been filled in with wooden boards. In the mid a 34f x one-story addition was completed to the rear of the property- Constructed of concrete blocks, the addition does detract from the church's architectural integrity. However, because of its location it is not visible from the facade. The original building has remained intact for over 75 years.

pa&ixi* scmssoz iwxmriQHi NPS FORM National Register of Historic Places, Inventory Nomination Form for Black Protestant Churches of Muskogee, dated February, Partis EBSIEGE flTORMCTCT; This report is sponsored by the Muskgoee Urban Renewal Authority, The survey narrative was prepared by Joseph L, Marsan, Development Manager of the CENTRRL BRPTISr CHORCH (Central Missionary Baptist Church) HABS No. (Page 7) Authority. Photography was produced by Benjamin Warner Newby of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Prepared by: Joseph L Marsan Development Manager Muskogee Urban Renewal Authority Muskogee, Oklahoma June,