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;