Broadway Baptist Church of Ft. Worth

On December 31, 1882, six men and three women met to organize this congregation. They called the Rev. John Smith Gillispie as their first Pastor. The name South Side Baptist Church was adopted January 14, 1883, at worship services held in a rented hall at 15th and Houston Street. In 1886 the fellowship erected a frame church building on the southwest corner of Broadway and St. Louis Avenue. Four years later the congregational name was changed to Broadway Baptist Church. As the church grew, larger facilities were needed. In 1906 a brick structure replaced the original building. On April 3, 1909, a devastating fire swept Fort Worth's South Side, destroying over 200 structures, including the church building, parsonage, and the homes of 22 member families. Rebuilding started immediately, and a new church structure was completed in 1910. The church complex expanded with the addition of educational facilities. A new sanctuary was begun in 1949 and completed by Easter Sunday in 1952. The membership of Broadway Baptist Church has grown to over 2,500 in its centennial year. At least seven other Baptist churches have been established through the efforts of this congregation. (1982)

Broadway Baptist Church of Ft. Worth is a historical marker in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, dedicated in 1982. It is one of 358 historical markers documented in Tarrant County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 501 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.7409, -97.3283 near Fort Worth. The nearest cataloged historic site is Beth-el Congregation (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Monnig, George B., Markeen Apartments, and Gustavus Adolphus Church, The Sanctuary.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5439000514. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.