A postcard depicting another historic downtown Raleigh church is our feature for Flashback Friday this week. The building seen here, Tabernacle Baptist Church, has occupied this corner on Moore Square since 1881.

The handwritten message on this postcard is barely legible, but I think I figured it out.

I’m down here in South not so far down. Home OK. everyone allright Herby was out with me the last two days I can hardly get away from him.
DM

Don’t know why this card was postmarked in Lancaster, PA. — maybe picked up in Raleigh, but not mailed until the correspondent got home? And poor ‘Herby’ — Bless his heart!

Over the decades since its founding, and through many renovations, Tabernacle Baptist Church has long been a prominent downtown Raleigh landmark.

Early Beginnings: Swain Street Baptist Church

Ten members of Raleigh’s First Baptist Church established a mission in a small frame meeting hall on Swain St. in 1874. The congregation grew, and by 1881 Swain Street Baptist Church relocated to the corner of Hargett and Person Streets, opposite Moore Square. They then took the name ‘Second Baptist Church.’

The Growing Years: Second Baptist Church

The Gothic-styled Second Baptist Church building was built of brick and featured a central steeple-topped tower.  By 1890 membership at Second Baptist had increased to the point that an enlargement in worship space was necessitated.  Thus, in 1891, the congregation hired the renowned, and prolific, Raleigh architect A.G. Bauer to design a major expansion.

This cut from Malone’s 1896 Raleigh City Directory shows the improvements to the 1881 building.

Bauer’s improvements reoriented the exterior visual impact of the church in a dramatic way from the street to the corner.  The space in the facade created by the relocated steeple was filled with an enormous ecclesiastical art glass window. Below that an entry porch is flanked by a small vestibule. A transept-like bay filled with art glass windows was added to the east elevation. A Sunday School wing was added to the rear.

This 1904 postcard features a tinted halftone print of ‘Tabernacle Baptist Church’. Apparently ‘Second Baptist’ had by this time become known, informally at least, as Tabernacle Baptist Church.

Today: Tabernacle Baptist Church

By 1909 Second Baptist had become “the largest Baptist church in North Carolina” (Biblical Recorder, 1944). Thus the congregation engaged the well-known Raleigh architect James Matthew Kennedy, to redesign the exterior and to increase the footprint of the interior worship space. Among Kennedy’s other local commissions at the time were City Market (1913) and Murphey School (1916)

Kennedy made extensive enlargements and improvements to church’s physical plant. These included adding east and west transepts which doubled occupancy. The visual focus was reoriented from the corner to the street facade and  included the addition of an elegant Romanesque-styled entry porch. The exterior was covered in stucco and scored to look like stone; the corner tower was heightened and Bauer’s ‘vestibule’ was replaced by a secondary tower. Administrative offices occupied most of the west wing and an enlarged Sunday School wing replaced Bauer’s addition to the north.

The refurbished interior featured an expanded worship space with auditorium-styled seating, an organ and choir loft, ceiling trussing, and modern light fixtures. Several beautiful art glass windows further embellished the interior.

Following the renovation, the congregation formally adopted the name Tabernacle Baptist Church.

Of the several renovations [over the years], perhaps the most notable was celebrated in 1910, when 1,500 worshipers attended each of three services. At that time, the church changed its name to “Tabernacle.”  (Biblical Recorder, 1944).

Here is a view of the Hargett St side of Tabernacle Baptist Church showcasing Kennedy’s design as it appeared in 1944.

State Archives of North Carolina photo

This photo shows he 1910 renovation  to the interior of Tabernacle Baptist as it appeared in 1944.

State Archives of North Carolina photo

Tabernacle Baptist Church was a prominent downtown Raleigh landmark for more than 120 years. During that time the church fostered many charitable efforts within the adjacent neighborhoods. Sadly, partly as a result of the increased urbanization of downtown Raleigh in recent years, the congregation decided to relocate to a North Raleigh site in 2001.

The Moore Square facility has been designated a Raleigh Historic Landmark, and the former church facility now houses the community-based Long View Center; which, along with City Market, is a part of the Moore Square Historic District.

Our Flashback Friday ‘white border’ postcard this week was published by long-time Raleigh stationer James E. Thiem Sr., and was printed by the Curt Teich Co.of Chicago under the trade name ‘C.T. American Art Colored.’

Curt Teich Co.   1893-1974
Chicago, IL

A major publisher and printer. Their U.S. factories turned out more cards in quantity than any other printer. They published a wide range of national view-cards of America and Canada. Many consider them one of the finest producers of White Border Cards. The Linen Type postcard came about through their innovations as they pioneered the use of offset lithography. They were purchased by Regensteiner Publishers in 1974 which continued to print cards at the Chicago plant until 1978.

“Flashback Friday” is a weekly feature of Goodnight, Raleigh! in which we showcase vintage postcards depicting our historic capital city. We hope you enjoy this week end treat!