Calvary Baptist Church

[warreng88]

[template=]
development
|category1=Deep Deuce
|category2=Office Buildings
|category3=Churches
|category4=Current
|
|project=Calvary Baptist Church
|address=300 N. Walnut Ave.
|status=under construction
|owner=Daniel and Joy Davis
|cost=$700,000 purchase, unknown renovations ($1+ mil)
|architect=Moda Architecture
|start=
|finish=1921
|contractor=
|height=3 floors
|sq. feet=22,788
|acerage=.64
|other=Law office + historic sanctuary to have community use
|
|image=
|
[/template]
Information & Latest News





Calvary Baptist Church (June 03 2013) - YouTube

Links

County Assessor Record
Doug Loudenback article
Gallery

[Doug Loudenback]

A very exciting idea is in the works for Calvary Baptist Church but it is still in process and under the radar at least as I understand it. I'm not fond of being a tease -- the potential development may not occur -- I'm only saying this so that you'll know that the concept of reinventing this historic church is not being ignored. It may become a reality, but it may not. Much too soon to tell.

[Easy180]

Ooh ooh....Let me guess...It will become another Lifechurch branch

[Spartan]

Ooh ooh....Let me guess...It will become another Lifechurch branch

That would still be positive for downtown. I think a Lifechurch downtown would be GREAT. Count me as the last person to ever step foot indoors, unless they start broadcasting Easter mass from the Vatican or something, but that would be a great way to bring more people downtown that wouldn't normally be there. A good way to capitalize on trends in OKC, too.

[EBAH]

Ooh ooh....Let me guess...It will become another Lifechurch branch

I think I just threw up a little in my mouth...

[Larry OKC]

If it can't remain a church, a residence is preferred over some that have been turned into bars etc. But one of the most bizarre reuse of a church was in Salem Mass., a church was being used to house the Witchcraft Museum (this was a couple of decades ago, so don't know if that is still the case). Dioramas in the balcony areas and a lit from underneath, blood red Pentagram in the middle of the floor of the former sanctuary.

[Thunder]

If it can't remain a church, a residence is preferred over some that have been turned into bars etc. But one of the most bizarre reuse of a church was in Salem Mass., a church was being used to house the Witchcraft Museum (this was a couple of decades ago, so don't know if that is still the case). Dioramas in the balcony areas and a lit from underneath, blood red Pentagram in the middle of the floor of the former sanctuary.

LOL!!! I'd love to see a couple of churches overturned in our state. That will be quite a sight to see. LOL!!!

[Laramie]

Whatever the (structure) Calvary Baptist Church becomes the historic church building has no roots to its former founders.

It could become an office structure as they did with Ebenezer Baptist Church in the Medical Center District.

Oklahoma City appears to be moving toward a change or revitalization that preserves the structural memories of many who took those memories to their graves; "this too will pass!"

[Urban Pioneer]

Hey Doug, do you have a picture of the cool old vintage neon sign that used to be out front. They took it down right when I moved here. Hated to see it go.

[Doug Loudenback]

All I have which shows the sign is this one which isn't so good.



I have been told, but have not verified, that the sign was put up for sale on EBay some time ago. Again, true or false, I don't know.

[Urban Pioneer]

Thanks Doug! I was just trying to remember exactly what it looked like.

[hipsterdoofus]

We should ask Mega's eyedoctor - I bet he knows whats up

[Easy180]

We should ask Mega's eyedoctor - I bet he knows whats up

Good one...point for hipster

[rcjunkie]

Hard Rock Cafe

[hipsterdoofus]

Zombie lair

[EBAH]

for the next couple of weeks, a haunted house

[warreng88]

Attorney buys Deep Deuce’s Calvary Baptist Church building
By Brianna Bailey
Journal Record
Oklahoma City reporter - Contact 405-278-2847
Posted: 04:38 PM Wednesday, April 25, 2012

OKLAHOMA CITY – A local attorney has purchased the historic Calvary Baptist Church building in Deep Deuce for $700,000 with plans to restore its sanctuary and convert part of the crumbling brick structure into a law office.

Oklahoma City attorney Daniel Davis and his wife, Joy Davis, purchased the nearly 90-year-old building from Covenant Life Family Worship Center on March 30. Daniel Davis, a personal injury attorney, plans to renovate the balcony of the building to use as his law office. The couple also want to restore the church sanctuary and showcase its history for the public, Joy Davis said.

“That church is such a gem,” Joy Davis said. “It belongs to the community, that’s why we’re restoring the sanctuary – to give it back to the community.”

They are working with Oklahoma City-based Moda Architecture to restore the church sanctuary to its former glory.

The CovenantLife congregation has been forced to hold services in the basement of the building for the past several years.

The roof of the sanctuary is crumbling and pieces of plaster and boards occasionally land on the church floor with a loud crash, Joy Davis said.

The Davises expect to spend more than $1 million restoring the building, but are still working with a contractor to finalize the cost of the project. They hope to begin putting a new roof on the building in the next few months.

“We’re not wealthy people, but we don’t want to take shortcuts,” Joy Davis said. “We want to do it right.”

Dal Shannon with Capital Commercial OKC had been trying to sell the property for the past four years.

The church building was once under contract to a woman who wanted to turn it into an events center, but the deal fell through when she was unable to secure financing for the project, Shannon said.

He said when he showed the Davises the property, they fell in love with it.

“Once they saw it, they just had a passion for it,” Shannon said.

Built in 1923, the church at 300 N. Walnut Ave. played an integral role in the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s.

The congregation once interviewed the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. when he was fresh out of seminary, but declined to hire him because of his lack of experience.

Church membership had dwindled to about 50 when the building sustained more than $1 million in damage from the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing in 1995. The force of the blast shattered many of the church’s stained-glass windows.

As part of the Murrah District Revitalization Program, the church received $1.4 million for renovations, repair and replacement of the stained glass.

Attempts to reach the Rev. Phillip Davis, pastor of Covenant Life Family Worship Center, were unsuccessful on Wednesday.

The congregation will lease the basement of the church building for one year while they continue to look for a more permanent meeting place, Shannon said.

[J. Pitman]

The church building was once under contract to a woman who wanted to turn it into an events center, but the deal fell through when she was unable to secure financing for the project, Shannon said.

.

The church torpedo'd that deal, not the "woman."

[Doug Loudenback]

The church torpedo'd that deal, not the "woman."

Thanks for calling that part of the article to attention ... I missed that in my first read. So, now I'm more comfortable speaking about the earlier possibility. The lady had quite a project in mind for this property and my understanding is that Urban Renewal was working with her also. She had an option to purchase but needed a little more time to come up with financing but the church was unwilling to work with her ... at least, that's my understanding.

[J. Pitman]

Thanks for calling that part of the article to attention ... I missed that in my first read. So, now I'm more comfortable speaking about the earlier possibility. The lady had quite a project in mind for this property and my understanding is that Urban Renewal was working with her also. She had an option to purchase but needed a little more time to come up with financing but the church was unwilling to work with her ... at least, that's my understanding.

She/we, were working on a house of blues type venue, with a restaurant in the basement. We were literally sitting down to execute a contract extension, and one of the church representatives demanded that the church be cut into the deal. We walked.

[ljbab728]

I"m not quite sure I understand from that article what their final plans are for the use of the sanctuary area.

[Pete]

[Pete]

Doug Loudenback has everything you want to know about this building's history:

http://www.dougloudenback.com/maps/v...arybaptist.htm

[Spartan]

What will happen to the congregation?

[Pete]

What will happen to the congregation?

Maybe someone can post the full article but the synopsis says that the sanctuary will be restored, so perhaps they current congregation will stay with some sort of agreement with the new owner.