ca. 1931. First Church of Christ, Scientist, 902 Division Ave., Tacoma. Built in 1911, the Greek-influenced edifice remains at its original location directly across Wright Park. It was designed by local architect Frederick Heath. Bowen # CHU-024

ca. 1931. Talmud Torah Synagogue, 901 So. 4th, Tacoma. Architects Hill & Mock designed this "Romanesque Italian Renaissance" structure, which was constructed in 1925. It was renamed Sinai Temple in 1947. In 1960, Talmud Torah merged with the reformists at Temple Beth Israel. Rabbi Richard Rosenthal was elected to lead the combined congregations. They built a new synagogue, Temple Beth El, at 5975 So. 12th St. Talmud Torah was sold in 1968 to the Tacoma Blood Bank. It was later demolished and its site used as a parking lot for Tacoma General Hospital. Bowen # CHU-025

ca. 1931. 6th Avenue Baptist Church, 2520 Sixth Avenue, Tacoma. This Gothic structure was built in 1924 from a design by Heath, Gove & Bell, architects. It was constructed from Walker Cut Stone donated by Robert Walker. The formal dedication was held on April 12, 1925. Bowen #CHU- 032

ca. 1931. St. Joseph's Church, 602 So. 34th St. Tacoma. This church was designed by C. Frank Mahon, architect, and built by congregation members. It was dedicated April 19, 1912 as St. Joseph's Slovak Catholic Church. Bowen #CHU-037

ca. 1931. First German Baptist Church, 2005 So. J St., Tacoma. The church was constructed in 1907 and originally named the First German Baptist. In the 40's, it became Calvary Baptist and in 1957, St. John Missionary Baptist Church. It has since been demolished. Bowen # CHU-038

ca. 1931. Central Methodist Church, 1953 So. I St., Tacoma. The church was dedicated on January 8, 1922 and stood at So. I and 21st St. The structure also housed Goodwill Industries. It has since been demolished. Bowen #CHU-045

ca. 1931. Bethany Presbyterian Church, 4420 No. 41st St., Tacoma. This semi-Colonial structure replaced a previous Bethany Presbyterian at this location. It was designed by the architectural firm of Heath, Gove & Bell. The structure had a brick veneer and stained glass windows from the Allen C. Mason mansion. Rev. Robert Asa Smith was the preacher at the time of construction. Bowen #CHU-047

ca. 1931. Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 702 E. Harrison St., Tacoma. The church was built in 1906 for the First Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church. It was dedicated in 1907 as the Bethlehem Norwegian Lutheran Church, later shortened to Bethlehem Lutheran. Bowen #CHU-049

ca. 1931. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1601 So. L St., Tacoma. The church was built in 1908 as the German Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church. The $9000 structure was designed by H. Crosley, architect. It much later became the Miles Memorial CME Church. It was demolished in 2004. Bowen #CHU-051

ca. 1931. Bethlehem Baptist Church, 1723 So. I St., Tacoma (Identification at bottom of negative is incorrect.) The church was built in 1922 by Baptists of color to replace an older structure. The pictured church burned in 1959 and was itself replaced by a new building. Bowen # CHU-030

Tacoma Rail & Power requested photographs in April of 1925 of South "K" St. (now called Martin Luther King Jr. Way) at 15th, showing both a north and south view. This is the view looking south on South "K" emphasizing the width of the street and the streetcar tracks in the foreground. The Norwegian Free Lutheran Church at 1423 South "K" (now Martin Luther King Jr. Way) is on the left with the Normanna Hall down the street on the right at #1502. G60.1-083

Churches--Tacoma--1920-1930; Lutheran Free Church (Tacoma); Normanna Hall (Tacoma); Street railroad tracks--Tacoma--1920-1930; Streets--Tacoma--1920-1930;

On August 18, 1925, an unidentified skilled craftsman was captured on film working on the carved screen that will mask the massive pipe organ in the new First Presbyterian Church at 20 Tacoma Ave. So. This craftsman was one of seven from the shop owned by partners Jacob Grotheim & Nels Torp working on the project. When noted church architect and Bostonian Ralph Adams Cram completed the design, he felt that no one in the wild Northwest would have the skill to execute the ornately carved oak pulpit and organ screen. Local cabinet makers J Grotheim & Co. answered the challenge. They were not only located close, at 1306 Tacoma Ave. So. but Mr. Grotheim was also a member of the church. The Boston architect was very impressed with the photographs that he received of the completed carvings. (TNT 8/21/1925, pg. 1) TPL-515; G22.1-202; BU-11,531

Presbyterian churches--Tacoma; First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma); J. Grotheim & Co. (Tacoma); Wood carving;

This small building at South 46th and Bell St. was the new Hope Chapel which was dedicated on Sunday, December 13, 1925. Rev. Arthur Sydow, pastor of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, preached the sermon. Hope Chapel was part of the Evangelical Lutheran community and built nearly entirely by volunteer labor. The building consisted of four rooms which could be combined to make an auditorium with capacity of 150. G22.1-114 (TNT 12-11-25, p. 18-article; TNT 12-14-25, p. 13)

Hope Chapel (Tacoma); Lutheran churches--Tacoma--1920-1930; Churches--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Bethany Presbyterian Church. The original Bethany Presbyterian Church, located on the same site, was destroyed by fire in early November of 1923. The ruins were razed and a new Bethany Presbyterian rose from the ashes of the old in remarkably quick time. Construction was started in April of 1924 and the church was completed less than seven months later at a cost of $35,000. The new Bethany Presbyterian had a brick veneer trimmed in stone and stained glass windows retrieved from the Allen C. Mason mansion. The imposing structure stood at the corner of Verde and North 41 St. G22.1-148 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 9-21-24, 4B-article)

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

ca. 1903. St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 2910 North Starr St, as viewed circa 1903. The tiny 21 x 45-foot wood church is considered to be Tacoma's oldest church, built in 1873 on land donated by Edward S. "Snookum" Smith and Capt. Starr with timber donated by the Hanson-Ackerson Mill. The unusual bell tower is actually a fir tree cut at 48 feet with its bell donated by the Sunday School of St. Peter's Church in Philadelphia. A windstorm in 1935 resulted in a new tower which replaced the unique Old Town fir tower. St. Peter's is on both the City and National Registers.

St. Peters Episcopal Church (Tacoma); Episcopal churches--Tacoma;