Renewal Project
West Baden Renewal Project
Members of the West Baden Springs, First Baptist Church for (colored) 1909
History of West Baden Colored Church
During the era of segregation in the early 1900's, there was a large thriving community of African Americans in West Baden Springs, Indiana. Due to segregation, they had their own churches, hotel, restaurant, barbershop, beauty salon, school and social clubs. Nothing remains of this vibrant community except the Baptist Church.
The West Baden (Colored) Church is a small but beautiful white neo-gothic style structure made of wood. The bell tower is still standing straight and tall gleaming in the sunlight. The old walls with missing planks are bowed outward and suggest the strain of its existence for over one hundred years.
Mr. Lee Wiley Sinclair, owner of the West Baden Springs Grand Hotel recruited Negroes as waiters, maids, bell boys and porters to work for him. The Negroes were employed in service positions and made the resorts experience notable. He began to realize the importance of worship within the colored community and that it would be beneficial to provide them a place to practice their faith.
Mr. Sinclair sold lot 2 on the corner of Sinclair and Elm Streets for one dollar to persons representing the church and February 6, 1909 marked the beginning of the First Baptist (Colored) Church of West Baden Springs, Indiana. This church eventually faced survival difficulties as membership dwindled during the decline of the resorts. Since then, the entire West Baden Springs area has been renovated and redeveloped except for this church which was the bedrock of the African-American community.
We are raising funds to restore and preserve the legacy of this last remaining African American landmark in West Baden Springs that is listed in the National Register of Historic places. Members of this community, including one 92 year old gentleman who promises to be the first member, await the restoration of this church for its original purpose: to meet spiritual needs through worship, fellowship and ministry to all people without discrimination.
A gentle breeze turned the pages of the Bible and hauntingly stops in Genesis between chapters 2 and 3 that describes the breath of life. We have a request: please be like the widow in Mark 12:42 who gave her mite, let's give a breath of life to this historic site. It deserves to live again.
During the era of segregation in the early 1900's, there was a large thriving community of African Americans in West Baden Springs, Indiana. Due to segregation, they had their own churches, hotel, restaurant, barbershop, beauty salon, school and social clubs. Nothing remains of this vibrant community except the Baptist Church.
The West Baden (Colored) Church is a small but beautiful white neo-gothic style structure made of wood. The bell tower is still standing straight and tall gleaming in the sunlight. The old walls with missing planks are bowed outward and suggest the strain of its existence for over one hundred years.
Mr. Lee Wiley Sinclair, owner of the West Baden Springs Grand Hotel recruited Negroes as waiters, maids, bell boys and porters to work for him. The Negroes were employed in service positions and made the resorts experience notable. He began to realize the importance of worship within the colored community and that it would be beneficial to provide them a place to practice their faith.
Mr. Sinclair sold lot 2 on the corner of Sinclair and Elm Streets for one dollar to persons representing the church and February 6, 1909 marked the beginning of the First Baptist (Colored) Church of West Baden Springs, Indiana. This church eventually faced survival difficulties as membership dwindled during the decline of the resorts. Since then, the entire West Baden Springs area has been renovated and redeveloped except for this church which was the bedrock of the African-American community.
We are raising funds to restore and preserve the legacy of this last remaining African American landmark in West Baden Springs that is listed in the National Register of Historic places. Members of this community, including one 92 year old gentleman who promises to be the first member, await the restoration of this church for its original purpose: to meet spiritual needs through worship, fellowship and ministry to all people without discrimination.
A gentle breeze turned the pages of the Bible and hauntingly stops in Genesis between chapters 2 and 3 that describes the breath of life. We have a request: please be like the widow in Mark 12:42 who gave her mite, let's give a breath of life to this historic site. It deserves to live again.