Bethel Baptist Church (Houston, Texas)

Bethel Baptist Church is a historic Baptist church building at 801 Andrews in Houston, Texas.

Bethel Baptist Church
Location801 Andrews, Houston, Texas
Coordinates29°45′20.2068″N 95°22′33.726″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1923
ArchitectBlount, John L.; Thomas, James M.
Architectural styleLate Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No.97001626[1]
Added to NRHPJanuary 16, 1998

The Late Gothic Revival building was constructed in 1923[2] and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

History

The original Bethel Church building was constructed in 1889 as a haven for former slaves and was entirely constructed of wood.[3] Built by the Reverend Jack Yates, the plot was located in Houston's Freedmantown district.[3] The original structure was destroyed in the Great Storm of 1900. Between 1900 and 1920, a second church structure was erected on top of the remains but it too was later destroyed.[2] Twenty three years later, the church was reconstructed for a third and final time.[2]

In 1997, the last church service was held in the building after which it was abandoned.[2]

On January 24, 2005, a fire destroyed the interior of the church, leaving only the exterior brickwork intact.[3]"The roof, all the interior and even the church's back wall had been destroyed; all that was left were three walls, some concrete supports and the concrete floor."[3]

In 2009, the church was sold to the City of Houston. Soon thereafter, the city erected steel supports and a concrete floor to preserve the building.[3]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. "Bethel Baptist Church". Houston Architecture. Houston Architecture Info. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  3. Gray, Lisa. "Archeologists make surprising discovery at Bethel church: Ruins of Historic Church transformed into city park". Houston Chronicle. The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 29 September 2015.


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