{"id":1881,"featured":1,"modified":"2026-04-17 19:58:02","latitude":46.01359619999998784578565391711890697479248046875,"longitude":-112.5396266999999852487235330045223236083984375,"title":"First Baptist Church, Butte (decommissioned)","subtitle":"201 West Broadway","fullsize":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/5f4e060268a259c61f7869a060578868.jpg","address":"201 West Broadway Street, Butte, Montana","all_locations":[],"zoom":16,"creator":["Montana National Register Sign Program","Marian Jensen","Richard Gibson"],"description":"In 1882, the Baptists established their first church in Butte. By 1890, membership numbered 65 and steadily grew until, at 450 members in 1905, new quarters were imperative. The following year marked the beginning of an unprecedented commercial building boom, and the Butte Miner reported on June 17, 1906, that the week would “…witness the beginning of several splendid structures not exactly in the business heart of the city.” One of these buildings was the impressive First Baptist Church, designed and built by Charles Passmore &amp; Company at a cost of $25,000. Triple-arched windows with beautiful stained glass highlight the main tower, whose pyramidal roof dignifies the neighborhood. Comparison of this church and the nearby Mountain View Methodist Church reveals distinct similarities, but window placement and architectural detailing make each unique. <br />\r\n<br />\r\nThe original Baptist Church on this site, a frame structure dating to 1885, was reportedly moved to Butte from Rochester, a mining camp about 50 miles south of Butte. The original structure was torn down and the present church was dedicated April 12, 1908.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nThe large round window on the east side was fabricated by Ford Brothers Glass Company of Minneapolis, and is an example of the Munich School, a style characterized by heavy painting, attention to detail, and elaborate figure placement.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nThe large ovals flanking the central anchor and cross in the south window are examples of opalescent glass. The swirls and variegated colors are typical of this technique, patented in 1880 by John LaFarge but popularized by his competitor Louis Tiffany.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nThe round window on the east side, called the Christ Window, was given by a parishioner in memory of his wife.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nThe large round unsigned window on the south side was presented by the Sunday School. The anchor in the large south window and a smaller window on the east side is the Christian symbol for hope and steadfastness.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nThe windows in this church were repaired and restored in 1980 thanks to a gift by a longtime member of the church.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nAfter 133 years of worship, Butte’s First Baptist Church closed in 2019 and the building is now privately owned.","sponsor":null,"accessinfo":"Private","lede":"","website":"","related_resources":["<a href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/b2694698-4c33-4e3d-b1f9-d8b8740bf6dc/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read about the Butte National Historic Landmark District</a>","<a href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/9ecb5fd7-e392-42a7-a16e-94df0f020422\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">See photos of the Butte National Historic Landmark District</a>"],"factoids":[],"files":{"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/5f4e060268a259c61f7869a060578868.jpg":{"id":2120,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"First Baptist Church","description":"First Baptist Church (PAc 91-51 B1 Roll15 F17). Front to side view of the church building, facing northwest on the corner of Montana Street and West Broadway Street. B&amp;W. | Montana State Historic Preservation Office from the Photograph Archives at the Montana Historical Society | Sept. 1981 | Photographer unidentified","thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/5f4e060268a259c61f7869a060578868.jpg"},"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/ed1c30ab83def804ebe85f243abb67eb.jpg":{"id":5519,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"baptistC007.jpg","description":"Richard Gibson","thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/ed1c30ab83def804ebe85f243abb67eb.jpg"},"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/fe42cc83418cd2c639ba6824378371be.jpg":{"id":5520,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"baptistC012.jpg","description":"Richard Gibson","thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/fe42cc83418cd2c639ba6824378371be.jpg"},"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/a9c4443f15742a7344e5e5868e446013.jpg":{"id":5521,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"baptist 015.jpg","description":"Richard Gibson","thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/a9c4443f15742a7344e5e5868e446013.jpg"},"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/ef731e53f1f3c33bedc0b390347afdf2.jpg":{"id":5522,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"baptist 013.jpg","description":"Richard Gibson","thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/ef731e53f1f3c33bedc0b390347afdf2.jpg"}}}