Saint James Second Street Baptist Church
Also known as: Greater Saint James Missionary Baptist Church
Why it's listed
Saint James Second Street Baptist Church, now Greater Saint James Missionary Baptist Church, sits on a small hill at Harding and Second streets in Fort Worth's historic African American neighborhood known as "The Hill." Built of red polychrome striated brick, it has two front-gabled wings, each flanked by towers, with lancet art glass windows and a round glass window in each gable. Local architect Frank J. Singleton designed both wings. African American contractor George R. Powell built the sanctuary under a 1918 contract, and B.G. Rhodes built the north education annex around 1922. The congregation formed in 1895 and grew into one of the city's most prominent Black churches, hosting large civic, state and national gatherings. The exterior is largely unaltered, though the sanctuary interior was remodeled in the 1950s. The building is valued as an example of Late Gothic Revival design and as a rare documented work by an African American builder in Fort Worth.
Significance in brief: The church is significant under Criterion C as an early 20th-century Late Gothic Revival church designed for an African American congregation. It is also one of the few Fort Worth buildings documented as built by an African American contractor, George R. Powell. It was designed by local architect Frank J. Singleton and meets Criterion Consideration A for religious properties at the local level.
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 99000883, listed July 22, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 210 Harding St., Fort Worth |
|---|---|
| County | Tarrant County |
| Listed | July 22, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000883 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1913, 1918, ca. 1922 |
| Architect / builder | Singleton, Frank J. (architect); Powell, George R. (builder); Rhodes, B.G. (builder) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Late Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in religious use as Greater Saint James Missionary Baptist Church; in generally good condition, with some water damage to interior walls. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.75947, -97.32474 (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 99000883.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7401409
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.