Centennial Baptist Church

Centennial Baptist Church
Centennial Baptist Church, March 2013
Centennial Baptist Church is located in Arkansas
Centennial Baptist Church
Location in Arkansas
Centennial Baptist Church is located in the United States
Centennial Baptist Church
Location in United States
LocationHelena, Arkansas
Coordinates34°31′31.69″N 90°35′26.63″W / 34.5254694°N 90.5907306°W / 34.5254694; -90.5907306
Built1905
ArchitectHenry James Price
Architectural styleLate Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No.87000518 (original)
03001044 (increase)
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMarch 26, 1987[1]
Boundary increaseJuly 31, 2003
Designated NHLJuly 31, 2003[2]

The Centennial Baptist Church is a historic church building at the corner of York and Columbia Streets in Helena, Arkansas. It is significant for its association with Elias Camp Morris (1855-1922), who was the pastor of the church from 1879 and who was a driving force in the establishment of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. Morris served as the convention's president from 1895 until his death, and his church served functionally as the organization's headquarters.[3] The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2003.[2][3][4]

The church was severely damaged by high winds on April 12, 2020 in the 2020 Easter tornado outbreak.[5]

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. ^ a b "Centennial Baptist Church". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. September 27, 2007. Archived from the original on March 1, 2007. Retrieved September 27, 2007.
  3. ^ a b ""Centennial Baptist Church" 2003, by National Historic Landmark Nomination". National Park Service. 2003.
  4. ^ "Centennial Baptist Church--Accompanying 16 photos, exterior and interior, from 2000 (National Historic Landmark Nomination)". National Park Service. 2003.
  5. ^ Bowden, Bill (April 14, 2020). "Thunderstorms leave trail of damage in state; 1 man killed, thousands without power". Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Retrieved April 15, 2020.