St. Paul's Baptist Church
Why it's listed
St. Paul's Baptist Church is a two-story, symmetrical frame building completed in 1921 on a corner lot at 454 2nd N.E. in Paris, Texas. Its front has a central portico with an inset porch framed by semicircular arches on square posts. Large round-headed stained-glass windows sit beside smaller paired windows, and tower sections to the north and south carry rectangular windows. A central gable crowns the front, with two gablets above the side windows. Around 1960 the structure was covered in artificial siding, but the building remains in good condition and is still used as a church. It was recognized for architecture at the local level as a late frame adaptation of the Romanesque style, more ambitious than many similar East Texas churches of its time. It has also long been a landmark of the Black community in Paris and is considered the most noteworthy and intact of the town's older Black churches.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a noteworthy late frame adaptation of the Romanesque style, more ambitious than comparable East Texas churches of the period. It has been a landmark of Paris's Black community since it was built. Despite later siding, it is described as the most noteworthy and intact of the town's older Black churches.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 88001928, listed October 26, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 454 2nd, NE, Paris |
|---|---|
| County | Lamar County |
| Listed | October 26, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88001928 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architectural style | Romanesque influence |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Physical condition is good; still used as a church. Covered in artificial siding around 1960. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.66703, -101.50043 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 88001928.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001163
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.