Exterior - Temple Baptist Church, 1961. Designed by Silas E. Nelsen and built of reinforced concrete in 1949, the Temple Baptist Church was located at 245 Saint Helens Avenue. Dr. Robert L. Powell was the church's pastor. The sanctuary was completed in 1960. Temple Baptist has been located at 1108 Columbia Ave. in Fircrest since 2001.

Temple Baptist Church (Tacoma); Baptist churches--Tacoma;

Ground breaking ceremony for the Temple Baptist Church, 245 Saint Helens Ave., in July of 1948. Architect Silas E. Nelsen designed the long anticipated building, located at South 4th & Saint Helens, which was completed in 1949. Temple Baptist had been planning for this occasion for more than fourteen years. Left to right, 86-year-old Oluf Larson, oldest Charter Member of the Church, Reverend Robert L. Powell, Pastor, 7-year-old Dorothy May Tyler, youngest member of the congregation, and William Granville Custis, Chairman of the Board of Deacons; other church members are in background (T.N.T., 7/6/48, p. 9). Temple Baptist started construction on a new sanctuary on So. 19th St. in 2000.

Ground breaking ceremonies--Tacoma; Church dedications--Tacoma; Baptist churches--Tacoma; Temple Baptist Church (Tacoma); Larson, Oluf; Powell, Robert L.; Tyler, Dorothy May; Custis, William Granville;