View source for 32nd Street Baptist Church

[[Image:32nd St Baptist.jpg|right|thumb|375px|32nd Street Baptist Church photographed July 21, 2005]]
The '''32nd Street Baptist Church''' is a former church building, located at 518 [[32nd Street South]] in the [[Lakeview]] district which stands vacant with a damaged roof after a curtailed renovation effort.

The church served a predominantly-black congregation organized in the early part of the 20th century as the '''Rising Star Baptist Church''' until the congregation relocated to a frame building on 32nd Street in [[1910]]. A new building, erected in [[1924]], was designed by African American architect [[Wallace Rayfield]].

During the [[Civil rights movement]], the church served as a meeting place for the [[Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights]]. It has been made a stop on the [[Freedom Trail]] and has been under consideration for National Historic Landmark status. It was measured and photographed in [[1996]] by [[Richard K. Anderson]] and [[Jet Lowe]] for the Historic American Buildings Survey.

The congregation moved again in [[1995]] to 3012 [[Dowell Avenue Southwest]] in the [[Powderly]] neighborhood of [[Southwest Birmingham]]. The 1,000-seat building was closed and put up for sale in [[2009]] after the church failed to keep up with its mortgage payments. In [[2011]] the [[Jones Valley Neighborhood Association]] urged the [[Birmingham Board of Education]] to acquire and demolish the vacant church and adjacent parsonage.

==Redevelopment of 1924 building==
The 1924 building was purchased in [[2004]] by [[Christy Hotz]] and Albany, Georgia attorney Bob Beauchamp. They worked with Joey Longoria of [[Sims Architectural Studio]] to redesign the space into eight luxury condominium apartments featuring double-height ceilings and tall windows. Although most of the pews were sold, eight were salvaged and were to be included in the new lofts. A stained glass window from the church was donated to the [[Birmingham Civil Rights Institute]]. The condominiums were marketed under the name '''Rayfield Legacy''', but the project was left incomplete and the building was put back on the market.

In May [[2009]] [[Terry Lee]] of the [[Naia Corporation]] announced plans for his development company [[Twin Oaks Investment Group]], to purchase the church as well as adjacent property for their headquarters office. Naia's $1.5 million investment is being assisted by a $414,000 two-year low interest loan from the City of Birmingham. Renovation of the church is part of a long-term plan for a technology education center.

Then-owner [[Elane Lee-Isa]]<!--Terry's mother, I think--> was interviewed in April [[2013]] by [[Linda Lyons]]. She said that she and her husband had purchased the landmark with the idea to preserve and restore it as an asset to the community, as well as a personal investment. They considered several options for repurposing the building, including a small private school, a holistic wellness center, or a hospitality house serving nearby medical centers. She also expressed a desire to pursue listing on the National Register of Historic Places, and a hope that a small exhibit on the history of the building could be included in any redevelopment.

==Pastors==
* [[Ellis M. Morton]], 1921-1940?
* [[C. L. Franklin]], late 1930s/early 1940s
* [[Charles Parker|Charles H. Parker]], 1945-1983
* [[Roy C. Allen]], 1984-2009

==References==
* Brock, Glenny. (April 6, 2006) "At home in the Lord's house: Historic church turns residential in the Lakeview district." ''Birmingham Weekly''.
* "Developer gives stained-glass window to Civil Rights Institute" (August 5, 2005) {{BBJ}}
* Anderson, Richard K. (1996) "32nd Street Baptist Church Recording Project". Historic American Buildings Survey. National Park Service. Sheet 1 of 1.
* Garrison, Greg (March 8, 2009) "Birmingham area churches struggle in tough times." {{BN}}
* Cooper, Lauren B. (May 5, 2009 ) "Naia tech firm to renovate historic church for offices." {{BBJ}}
* Kent, Dawn (February 28, 2010) "Birmingham developer plans to give former Southside church life as office, training space." {{BN}}
* Gray, Jeremy (February 15, 2011) "Boarded up church near new Birmingham school causes concern." {{BN}}
* Lyons, Linda (July 9, 2013) "[http://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7513&context=etd The Historic 32nd Street Baptist Church Reborn: Exploring Intersections Of Adaptive Reuse And Sense Of Place]" Florida State University, graduate thesis

==External links==
* [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.al1215 Thirty-Second Street Baptist Church] drawings and photographs at the Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress)
* [http://www.rayfieldlegacy.com/ Rayfield Legacy] project website

[[Category:Former churches]]
[[Category:1910 buildings]]
[[Category:1924 buildings]]
[[Category:Wallace Rayfield buildings]]
[[Category:Movement churches]]
[[Category:32nd Street South]]
[[Category:Dowell Avenue]]
[[Category:1900s establishments]]
[[Category:2009 disestablishments]]