Attendance at the New Bible Prophecy Auditorium, the Central Seventh Day Adventist Church at 6th and Sprague, for the Spillman-Lyman Evangelistic Team. The best known West Coast Evangelistic team began their revival meetings September 27, 1953, sponsored by the Washington Conference of the Seventh Day Adventists. Don Hiatt Spillman was the director and speaker. Lewis Lyman was the singing evangelist and musical director. The pair, with their wives, sang as a mixed quartet. The first sermon was "Now that Stalin is dead and the Communists have the hydrogen bomb, what is the answer to the Russian Riddle?" Appearing in Tacoma after 66 weeks in Seattle, 38 in Spokane and 24 in Salem Oregon, the revival would meet every night except Monday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the new 1/4 million dollar building designed by Silas Nelsen. (TNT 9/25/1953, pg. 7)

Religious meetings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Churches--Tacoma; Central Seventh Day Adventist Church (Tacoma); Revivals--Tacoma--1950-1960;

A simple design graces the altar of the Asbury United Methodist Church; it apparently is made of wood and concrete block furnished by the Holroyd Co. There is a small cross on the top shelf flanked by two candlesticks. Lilies are placed in the two metallic vases below. A plaque showing hands praying is displayed on the altar's front.

Asbury United Methodist Church (Tacoma); Methodist churches--Tacoma; Altars--Tacoma; Plaques--Tacoma; Holroyd Co. (Tacoma);

A sepia photograph of the Central Lutheran Church choir was taken in the church's choir loft on March 15, 1953. They would be presenting "Seven Last Words", a cantata by Dubois, on Good Friday. Rev. Rueben H. Redal, pastor, is believed to be in the front row, on the left, with director Wilbur Arnold at his side. Central Lutheran, located at 1001 South "G" Street, apparently had a massive organ; there is a large cross placed on the front of the pipes. First Presbyterian Church was dedicated at that site in 1890; Central Lutheran established residency there in the 1930's. (TNT 3-29-53, D-11)

Central Lutheran Church (Tacoma); Choirs (Music); Organ lofts--Tacoma; Organs;

Seventh-day Adventist Disaster Emergency Unit. An unidentified speaker addresses members of the Tacoma Central and South Side Seventh-day Adventist churches in March of 1953 as they spent a long day filling and distributing emergency disaster kits and practicing first aid. The Fifties were a time of anxiety for our nation and civil defense was highly promoted. The City of Tacoma had a Civil Defense Building on Fawcett Ave. which was constructed of concrete and considered bombproof and had its own local director of civil defense. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has provided emergency relief in times of disaster for over a hundred years. (TNT 3-22-1953, A-15-article)

Seventh-day Adventist Church (Tacoma); Civil defense--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Seventh-day Adventist Disaster Emergency Unit. Members of all ages from the Tacoma Central and South Side Seventh-day Adventist churches spent a day in March, 1953, involved in a hands-on project of filling and distributing emergency disaster kits and practicing first-aid. Working on an assembly-line basis, these two boys and an elderly couple are pictured placing wooden splints into the white buckets marked SDA Disaster Kit(s). Piles of neatly folded bandages are shown on a nearby table ready for insertion into the kits. The objective of the kits and training was to hopefully equip every church member's home with a kit so they could be prepared to help themselves in case of disaster and also aid their neighbors. Most of the activities of this long 10-hour day were filmed for use as training for other Seventh-day Adventist churches. (TNT 3-22-1953, A-15-article)

Seventh-day Adventist Church (Tacoma); Civil defense--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Central Seventh Day Adventist Church. Located at 615 No. Sprague, the church had its first services in August, 1953. It was designed to be modernistic in feature by Silas E. Nelsen, architect, with John Wagner, who specialized in building churches, as construction supervisor. Church members supplied much of the labor required in building the church which probably kept costs lower. The church was dedicated in February, 1963, when the building was free of debt. Laurel J. Ehrhardt was pastor at the time of this April, 1968, photograph. Photograph ordered by Central Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Central Seventh Day Adventist Church (Tacoma); Churches--Tacoma;

Exterior Calvary Lutheran Church. Guests start to arrive for the Nancy Osborn-Richard Watson afternoon wedding ceremony at the Calvary Lutheran Church on June 22, 1957. The church is a modern brick and wood structure with a daylight basement. Windows are open to let in the warm summer breezes. A wooden tower in front of the church appears incomplete although the cross is already in place. Sepia photograph ordered by Nancy Osborn.

Calvary Lutheran Church (Federal Way); Lutheran churches--Federal Way;

Additional view of Tacoma Gospel Assembly. A slightly angled view of Tacoma Gospel Assembly's interior was taken on May 28, 1957. The crisp, clean lines of wooden pews blend with the wood ceilings and arched open beams. Potted blossoms decorate the simple lectern. The new church's pastor was Rev. Ernest Maisch. After meeting for several years at Normanna Hall, groundbreaking for the new church occurred on June 10, 1956. Less than a year later, the new church was completed and a sanctuary dedication planned for June 3, 1957. The Tacoma Gospel Assembly is an independent Full Gospel Church. Photograph ordered by Tacoma Gospel Assembly. (TNT 6-1-57, p. 5)

Tacoma Gospel Assembly (Tacoma); Churches--Tacoma--1950-1960; Pews--Tacoma;

The Japanese Methodist Church celebrated its 50th anniversary October 25-57, 1957. The congregation is amassed in front of the venerable church at South 19th and Fawcett. One of the special guests on October 27, 1957, was the first minister of the (then) Tacoma Japanese Methodist Episcopal Church, the Rev. Seichi Higashida. The building at 19th & Fawcett was started in 1929 and paid off in 1933. Begun in 1907 as a mission society for Japanese immigrants, the church was to change its name to Whitney Memorial United Methodist Church in the 1960's. It was to later close in 1999, due to declining attendance, and the property purchased by the University of Washington. Photograph ordered by Kaz Yamane, Tacoma Japanese Methodist Church. (TNT 10-26-57, p. 14)

Tacoma Japanese Methodist Church (Tacoma); Whitney Memorial United Methodist Church (Tacoma); Protestant churches--Tacoma; Japanese Americans--Tacoma;

Frosted windows, open beam ceilings, and parquet block walls provide a cozy setting for a study room in the Calvary Baptist Church. This is possibly in the church's auxiliary building. A large screen is placed before rows of wooden seats; a piano is close by. This may have been the setting for a Sunday School class or possibly a Bible study room. Photograph ordered by Rilco Laminated Products, Inc.

Calvary Baptist Church (Tacoma); Baptist churches--Tacoma; Protestant churches--Tacoma;

Confirmation class. Rabbi Richard Rosenthal stands among the May, 1964, confirmation class at Temple Beth Israel. The fourteen young men and women are dressed in robes with the males wearing talliths with a striped design.

Rosenthal, Richard; Rabbis--Tacoma; Confirmations--Tacoma; Judaism--Tacoma; Temple Beth El (Tacoma); Synagogues--Tacoma;

Members of Tacoma's Rainbow Court No. 42 and Seattle's Sarah W. Dupree Court No. 19 of the Heroines of Jericho held joint Holy Week services in Tacoma at Bethlehem Baptist Church in March of 1964. Members and officials of the Rainbow Court are posed in the foreground; Seattle contingent in back row. L-R, front row: Era M. Martin, Vivian Jones, Lucy B. Marshall, Jessie M. Baldwin, Worthy Joshua Gerald L. Baldwin, Hallie Brooks, Sarah Booth, Julie Gillum and Berdie Johnson. 2nd row: Maggie White, Lizzy Green, Cora Walker, Octavia Charles, Benny Ruth Fox, Elizabeth Wesley and Laura Latmier. 3rd row: Court directors Louis J. Marshall and Robert L. White, Helen Adams. 4th row: Clara White, Mrs. Allen M. Douglas, Helen Krisel, Edith Allen, Janie M. Bennett, Leona Kidd, Floy Ruffins, Addalana Moore, Beatrice Chatters and past Worthy Joshua William Hawkins. (TNT 3-26-64, p. 7)

Group portraits; Women--Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1960-1970; African Americans--Tacoma--1960-1970; Bethlehem Baptist Church (Tacoma); Heroines of Jericho;

Interior of Mountain View Lutheran Church, Edgewood. A wooden pulpit is embedded in rock inside the Mountain View Lutheran Church in Edgewood. A simple cross surrounded by stone is at the altar. Rows of wooden pews face the cross and pulpit. The building is A-shaped with wooden dormers. Rev. Paul Braafladt was the congregation's pastor. At the time of this 1965 photograph, the church had a Puyallup address of 3617 - 21st St. N.E. Photograph ordered by Howard Smith Advertising. (Additional information provided by a reader)

Churches--Edgewood--1960-1970; Lutheran churches--Edgewood--1960-1970; Mountain View Lutheran Church (Edgewood); Pews--Edgewood; Crosses; Pulpits--Edgewood;

Unfinished roof on unidentified church. This circular steel roofline was in the process of being completed in April, 1966, as construction of this Burien-area church proceeded. Steel was used heavily in the church's framing. The church, not identified, was located in the vicinity of 132nd and 2nd Ave. Photograph ordered by National Blower & Sheet Metal Co.

Building construction--Burien--1960-1970; Churches--Burien--1960-1970; Roofs--Burien;

Youngsters 9-17 gathered at the First Assembly of God Church at 1121 So. "G" (now Altheimer) on August 22, 1962, for a missionary convention. View of approximately 300 children and older members in church's sanctuary, including many in the extended balcony. The First Assembly of God was host to the Western Washington Missionette Convention of the Assemblies of God. Missionettes are girls age 9-17 whose aim it is to help missionaries at home and abroad by supplying clothing, literature and visual aids. (TNT 8-18-62, p. 4)

Meetings--Tacoma--1960-1970; Religious meetings--Tacoma--1960-1970; First Assembly of God (Tacoma); Churches--Tacoma--1960-1970;

The bas relief at the front of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Parkland, ordered by the Olympian Stone Co. of Seattle. The original church at this site was "The Gray Church" built in 1907 and also named Trinity Lutheran. It was demolished in 1957 and this new church, designed by John Richards of Lea, Pearson and Richards, was dedicated in March of 1959. The relief over the door was designed by Pacific Lutheran College Art Professor George Roskos. The three ton sculpture illustrates the parable of the sower, how both seed and the word of God need fertile soil to take root and grow.

Trinity Lutheran Church (Parkland); Lutheran churches--Parkland; Bas-reliefs;

Large confirmation class at St. Martin of Tours Parish in Fife. 23 boys and 30 girls posed in red and white robes on October 12, 1969, in the church. Religious leader in robes has been identified by St. Martin of Tours Church as Bishop Thomas Gill. Color photograph ordered by St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church.

St. Martin of Tours Parish (Fife); Rites & ceremonies--Fife; Confirmations--Fife; Gill, Thomas;

36 joyful children pose at St. Martin of Tours on Sunday, May 6, 1968. They appear ready for First Communion as the little girls are wearing veils and all children are dressed in gold and white robes.

St. Martin of Tours Parish (Fife); Catholic churches--Fife; Rites & ceremonies--Fife; Communion;

These 31 children, hands clasped in prayer, are preparing for their first Holy Communion at St. Martin of Tours in Fife. All are wearing white gowns with yellow trim and the girls all have veils. Most look solemnly at the camera although a few have shy grins. Color photograph ordered by St. Martin of Tours.

St. Martin of Tours Parish (Fife); Catholic churches--Fife; Rites & ceremonies--Fife; Communion;

Two men are studying in the library of Faith Evangelical Lutheran Seminary, 3504 No. Pearl St., in early January of 1974. Bookshelves line the walls of the room; bound volumes include "The Companion Bible" and "Spirit and Power." Card catalogues for further references and magazine shelves also would be heavily used by the students. The long rectangular table had seating for more than 15 readers. Faith Evangelical Seminary was built about 1963 so that Lutherans could further learn more about their religion. Photograph ordered by Lutheran Alert- National.

Faith Evangelical Lutheran Seminary (Tacoma); Theological seminaries--Tacoma;

ca. 1932. Church of the Holy Communion. Built in 1929, the church was designed by A.S. Leeper, architect. The foundation is in the shape of the cross.

Church of the Holy Communion (Tacoma);

ca. 1933. Full Gospel Tabernacle and Rescue Mission, Evangelist Bertha Mitchell, Pastor in Charge. This is a rare view in the thirties; the church is fully integrated and the minister is a woman. The church group appears to be meeting in a rough basement with exposed beams and pipes and a light bulb hanging down from a wire.

Full Gospel Tabernacle & Rescue Mission (Tacoma); Churches--Tacoma--1930-1940; Tabernacles; Race relations--Tacoma--1930-1940;

ca. 1934. Exterior view of unidentified shingled building with many stained glass windows used as a church. For Leybolt-Smith Shingle Company. (filed with Argentum)

Churches--1930-1940; Leybolt-Smith Shingle Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1925. Play at Congregational Church. A large group of actors, dressed in robes and headdresses, pose at the front of the church. A curtain has been hung across the altar, shielding most of a pipe organ. This is probably the First Congregational Church at 209 So. "J" St. (WSHS-negative under A600-0))

Congregational churches--Tacoma; First Congregational Church (Tacoma); Theatrical productions--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1926. View of a covered brick walkway at the First Presbyterian Church, ca. 1926. The Romanesque church was built from a design submitted by Ralph Adams Cram, founder of the architectural firm of Cram & Ferguson in Boston. The firm was the most famous designer of churches in the country. The church was designed around a courtyard with a pillared colonnade separating the portions of the church. The brick courtyard with its stone benches can be seen to the left of the walkway. (WSHS)

Presbyterian churches--Tacoma; First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma);

ca. 1926. Drawing of St. Lukes Episcopal Church by Ralph Bishop for Architect McGuire. St. Luke's was built in 1883 at 602 Broadway with gray sandstone brought from the Wilkeson quarries. In 1934 it was dismantled, and reassembled brick-by-brick at 3601 No. Gove. St. (also cataloged as Series 2222 image 1)

St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Tacoma); Episcopal churches--Tacoma; Drawings;

Exterior of Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Russell and Babcock, Architects, 1909. Nativity scene, said to be a favorite of young kidnap and murder victim Charles Mattson. Taken in connection with the unsolved Mattson kidnapping case. (photograph T. Times 1/2/37 p. 10; story T. Times 12/28/1936- 1/25/1937, pg. 1)

Presbyterian churches--Tacoma; Immanuel Presbyterian Church (Tacoma); Kidnappings--Tacoma--1930-1940; Mattson, Charles--Kidnappings;

Aquinas Academy Graduation Banquet. Thirty-five girls in formals seated around formal set dining table. (filed with Argentum)

Aquinas Academy (Tacoma); Graduation ceremonies--Tacoma--1930-1940; Students--Tacoma--1930-1940; Church schools--Tacoma; Private schools--Tacoma;

ca. 1938. The First Presbyterian Church, showing its large stained glass window and dome. This lovely Romanesque red brick church was dedicated in September of 1925 and is on the Tacoma City Registry. It was designed by noted architect of churches Ralph Adams Cram, of Cram and Ferguson of Boston. The structure reflects Cram's interest in ecclesiastical symbolism. The design is heavy with religious symbols carved in stone, wood and metal, including its ornate dome with ancient Christian symbols and figures.

Presbyterian churches--Tacoma; First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma);

Easter Sunday, April 9th 1939, at the Luther Memorial Church. Women and children dressed in Easter outfits, some with corsages, standing on church steps. The women on the left have been identified by a family member as (left to right) Grace Lundberg, Garnet Torgeson and their mother Lydia Torgeson. Luther Memorial had its last service after 112 years on November 9th, 2003.

Lutheran churches--Tacoma--1930-1940; Luther Memorial Church (Tacoma); Easter--Tacoma; Lundberg, Grace; Torgeson, Garnet; Torgeson, Lydia;