Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary grew out of Baylor's theology department and was chartered in 1908 under founding president B. H. Carroll. Fort Worth won a statewide contest for the school by offering a hilltop south of town plus $100,000, and classes began here in 1910. The original campus was laid out as a 30-acre square on Seminary Hill, and a 1972 state historical marker tells its story. This walk starts at that plaque and the domed Memorial Building, then visits the seminary's three oldest buildings, its library, a quiet prayer garden, and a 3,500-seat chapel.
Early postcard of Fort Worth Hall, the seminary's first building, on Seminary Hill. Photo: Auburn Post Card Mfg. Co. (Auburn, Indiana), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
What you'll see
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary started as the theology department at Baylor and received its own charter in 1908 under B. H. Carroll. Fort Worth offered land and cash to win the school, and classes moved there from Waco in 1910. Trustees sold lots around the original campus to raise money, so the seminary helped create the Seminary Hill neighborhood.
Fort Worth Hall, the first building, once contained nearly everything, including classrooms, a chapel, a dining hall and student rooms. It still has its travertine columns. The B. H. Carroll Memorial Building, completed in 1949, is built around a limestone rotunda with a carved frieze showing 21 Baptist leaders. At Cowden Hall, home of the church music school since 1926, the names of 32 composers and musicians run along the roofline.
The newer campus includes MacGorman Chapel, which seats about 3,500 and has a foyer fountain that can serve as a baptistery. You'll also find a large theological library and a peaceful prayer garden. It's an enjoyable visit for anyone interested in early Fort Worth architecture and more than a century of Texas Baptist history.
Around Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Postcard drawing of Fort Worth Hall and its columned portico in the seminary's early years. Photo: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsVintage aerial postcard of the Seminary Hill campus and its surrounding street grid. Photo: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsEarly postcard of a brick hall on the Southwestern Seminary campus in Fort Worth. Photo: S. H. Kress & Co., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Watch: Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Where it starts
The tour begins in Fort Worth. Open Texas Roam to follow the full route stop by stop, with directions and audio narration as you go.
How long is the Southwestern Seminary Campus Tour?
It is a self-guided walking tour: 8 stops, about 1.2 miles, ~1 hour. Go at your own pace; the app keeps your place.
Where does it start?
In Fort Worth, Texas. The exact starting point, the full stop list and turn-by-turn directions are in the TexasRoam app.
How do I take this tour?
Download TexasRoam for iPhone or iPad from the App Store. The tour is included with TexasRoam+. It is not available on the web map.
When is the best time to go?
Go on a weekday in daylight while classes are in session, when campus buildings are open and the prayer garden is at its calmest.
Take the “Southwestern Seminary Campus Tour”
Texas Roam guides you turn by turn through Fort Worth with maps, audio narration and check-ins as you go — plus all 8 stops on this tour and every guided tour, hiking trail and historical marker across Texas. Get it on the App Store.
Guided tours & hiking trails are available only in the TexasRoam app for iPhone & iPad — not on the web map. Free to download; unlock with TexasRoam+.
