The Highest Structure in the City in 1939

When entering Bossier City by way of the Texas Street bridge, and as you take the curve onto East Texas Street, you will see a beautiful three-story and basement, brick colonial building with white trim. The one with the maroon canopies adorning the stairs and entrances at the front of the building.

Photo By: Amy Robertson 04/30/2020

This eighty-year-old architectural gem of Bossier City is located at 329 East Texas Street at the corner of Third Street. It was built on lots that were donated to Ardis Memorial Baptist Church in 1903 by Dr. T. E. Schumpert, Col. R. G. Pleasant, and W. M. McCormick. However, during that time, the address was 325 Hunter Street.

Hunter Street became East Texas Street after a vote approving the name change took place during a Bossier City Council meeting on Mar. 7, 1933 which was presided over by Mayor Tom Hickman. During the time in which the Bossier side of the river was preparing the approach to the “new Red River bridge,” officially called the Long-Allen Bridge, perhaps better known as Texas Street Bridge. The decision to change Second Street East to Traffic Street was also voted on at that time.

In thirty years, the church had grown so much that the trustees began talks of building a new brick building. By 1934, the church announced in The Shreveport Times on Apr. 8, 1934, that a plan was accepted to construct “a $10,000 auditorium and later a $30,000 church plant to replace the frame structure occupied by the present frame structure.”

In 1935 Ardis Memorial Baptist Church was one of only three churches in the City, and in a newspaper article, that year, it was deemed “one of the big churches of the state.”

On May 11, 1937, another announcement appeared in The Shreveport Journal, stating that “A new $35,000 church will be erected by the congregation of Ardis Memorial Baptist Church in Bossier City.” Plans set in place in 1934 were finally beginning to materialize. At that time, the plans were for “The present auditorium and the present educational plant will be adjusted on the church property to make room for the new building.”

Designed by local architect, J. Chesire Peyton and constructed by contractor W. E. Keller, who was noted as having “built more Baptist churches in Louisiana than any other contractor” in the Apr. 3, 1938 issue of The Shreveport Times. Peyton and Keller designed and built the “highest structure in the city.”

Source: The Shreveport Times, April 2, 1939

It was completed on Feb. 1, 1939, by Ardis Memorial Baptist Church, which changed its name to First Baptist Bossier City and is the current home to Sunflower Missionary Baptist Church. The church held the dedication for the new building on Easter Sunday, Apr. 9, 1939.

In 1965 when the church decided to build a larger building down the road, the church property at 329 E. Texas St. was sold to the Twin Cities Missionary Baptist church. In the fall of 1967, the building went from Twin Cities Baptist Church to Faith Fellowship Baptist Church. In 1971 it went from being Faith Fellowship to Sunflower Missionary Baptist Church, which has occupied this beautiful brick colonial for fifty of the eighty years that it has existed (2021 marks their fiftieth year.)

Artis Memorial Baptist Church, C. 1903
Neil Yarborough Collection: 2006.034.004

The funds for the original framed structure were donated by Colonel C. H. Ardis, whom the church was initially named after. On the day the church was dedicated, J. Bryan Ardis read a letter from his father, Col. Ardis, which proclaimed, “This little church is donated to the trustees and all members who may join this church hereafter for all time to come and I trust the church will be ‘like a city set upon a hill, which cannot be hid,’ and that its influence for good will last as long as time lasts.”

I like to imagine that Col. Ardis would be proud to know what he and others began in 1903 has carried on through the test of time.

To see pictures of old churches and architectural buildings then visit our website, www.bossierlibrary.org, to access the Bossier Parish Libraries History Center’s Collections Database with over 10,000 various images and plenty of Bossier Parish History to keep you entertained. You can also follow us, @BPLHistoryCenter, on Facebook to see posts with great pictures of Bossier Parish History.

By: Amy Robertson

First Bossier Church's Fire of 1984

A little over a year ago, First Bossier Church on Airline Drive suffered significant damages due to fire, which they have recently begun the process of rebuilding. In the very long history of this church, which started in 1903, this is not the first fire that it has experienced.

On Feb. 22, 1984, a flame coming out of a roof louver was spotted by a Bossier City police officer around 11 pm. Thanks to a quick response, firefighters extinguished the fire in 45 minutes. The following article, written by Keenan Gingles that appeared in The Shreveport Times on Friday, Feb. 24, 1984, gives details of the event.

“Damages in a fire that destroyed part of First Baptist Church of Bossier City’s sanctuary will total more than $1 million, a church official said Thursday.

“Jim Barnwell, minister of media for the 5,000-member church, said a survey pf the damage by insurance company representatives and firefighters yesterday showed extensive damage in an area behind the choir loft. Barnwell said it could take three to four months to repair the damage.

“Firefighters battles the blaze for about 45 minutes after a Bossier City policeman apparently spotted flames coming out of a roof louver about 11 p.m., Fire Chief J.T. Wallace said.

“Fire Prevention Bureau personnel and insurance inspectors were still sifting through charred areas yesterday to determine the cause, but firefighters said they are pretty sure the blaze started from an electrical malfunction in a heating system for the church baptistry.

“Revival services had been held on Wednesday night and nothing seemed abnormal, Barnwell said. Fourteen persons were baptized and the building superintendent left the building bout 10 p.m., about an hour before the alarm was turned in.

“The fire apparently smoldered for a time, then erupted into flames, climbing up the three-story high  walls and ceiling, melting the baptistry and burning a large, jagged hole in the roof, Wallace said.

“Fire walls built into the 18-year-old structure kept the fire from spreading to adjacent wings and buildings, firefighters said.

“Firefighters managed to rescue about $80,000 worth of television cameras and equipment, but a grand piano and an organ were total losses. Barnwell said the heat warped and ruined the musical instruments.

“Firefighters said it took little water to tap out the blaze, but some water damage occurred and there was also smoke damage from the heavy gray-black smoke that filled the sanctuary.

“Self-contained breathing equipment was used by firefighters who entered the building and used small hose lines to extinguish the fire.

“Barnwell said the church will be using the Airline High School and other church buildings for worship services.”

To learn more about the history of Bossier Parish churches or fires, visit the Bossier Parish Libraries History Center at 2206 Beckett St., Bossier City.

By: Amy Robertson

"First Baptist Church Steeple to Arrive Here Shortly"

From the Bossier Press issue of February 23, 1966, the following announcement about the eagerly awaited arrival of the steeple for First Baptist Church of Bossier City appeared. 

“The long-awaited 152-foot steeple of the new First Baptist Church of Bossier City was reported en route to the city this week and it’s expected to be erected within two to three weeks.” 

“Marshall Walker of the Shreveport architectural firm of Walker and Walker which designed the new $1 million-plus church said the steeple’s three sections were to have been loaded on six railroad flat cars around the middle of last week.” 

“Spotlights to illuminate the base of the steeple are already installed on the front lawn will be installed as soon as weather permits.” 

“A.W. Hogan, president of the Southern builders Construction Co., which erected the new church, said the three sections of the steeple will be hoisted by a long boom crane into position over the sanctuary edifice within two days after arrival. The Completion of the steeple structure after the components are in place will take approximately one week, according to Hogan.” 

“J.D. Miot Jr. of the Carter-Miot Engineering Co. of Columbia, S.C., said he regretted the delay in delivery, but he added, ‘Once the job is completed the enjoyment of the beauty of the structure will very soon overcome and push into oblivion the memory of the temporary disappointment resulting from a completion delay.’” 

“The new church, located on East Texas Street between Benton Road and Airline Drive, opened its doors on Dec. 5.” 

First Baptist Church of Bossier City was first incorporated in 1903 as Ardis Memorial Baptist Church, until 1939 when the name was changed to First Baptist Church of Bossier City. It was located at Hunter Street (now East Texas Street) and East Third Street until it was relocated to its current location, 2810 East Texas Street, in 1965.  

Fire December 10, 2018; Bossier Parish Library History Center collection 2019.004.001

To learn more about the history of First Baptist Church of Bossier City, visit the Bossier Parish Libraries History Center.

By: Amy Robertson