The Southern Baptist Convention was formed at the site of the old First Baptist Church building in 1845. The church was completed in 1902 and replaced an older building constructed in 1821. (Chris Thelen/Staff)
Time takes toll on old church
White sheets cover the windows where handcrafted images of Jesus once glistened in the sun. Weeds have grown on the steps where members used to stand and visit after the Sunday service.
"It looks pretty disheveled," said Anna Bannister, a member of First Baptist, now situated on Walton Way. "I just hate to ride by there and see the shape it's in."
Mrs. Bannister, a member since 1944 who wrote the history of First Baptist in 1967, remembers attending Sunday worship services at the church.
"It's a lovely building," she said. "It had some of the most beautiful stained-glass windows, some of which were designed by Tiffany and Co."
The Greene Street building, erected in 1902, is modeled after La Madeleine church in Paris.
First Baptist grew out of Kiokee Baptist Church in Appling, one of the oldest churches in the South. During the early years, the Augusta Baptists, as they were called, worshipped in several places and under several names.
The original church - which was built in 1821 and torn down to build a bigger church in 1899 - was the birthplace of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1845.
Despite the rich historical value, the building has been left vacant.
The building is owned by the Southern Baptist Birthplace Foundation Inc. Dennis Caddell, a real estate agent and the foundation's chairman, said the group was formed to preserve the building and its history.
"We really want to try and save the building," he said, "but it will be an expensive restoration."
Mr. Caddell said several churches are looking at the property, but none has committed.
"One of the stipulations when we rent the building is that the group take care of the daily maintenance," he said. "But since we haven't had renters in a while, it hasn't been maintained very well."
Through the years, several churches have tried to hold services in the building, but none has survived. Mrs. Bannister said she understands why no one has been successful in the building.
"It's so expensive to maintain," she said. "That's one of the reasons we moved to the Walton Way location."
A granite marker stands as the only memorial of the history ensconced in the magnificent building.
