Groovy Sixties Mod Church on Broadway Now for Sale, for $3.9 Million

Park Place Baptist Church, 4105 Broadway St., Park Place, Houston

Park Place Baptist Church, 4105 Broadway St., Park Place, HoustonThe owners of the Park Place Baptist Church building and campus just south of the Gulf Fwy. at 4101 Broadway St. have put the 8.694-acre property up for sale, with a list price of $3.9 million. The building, which also serves as a sixties-mod landmark at the freeway exit for mod-home bastion Glenbrook Valley (not to mention Hobby Airport), has been home to the church since the building was completed. But the congregation no longer owns the facility. In 2002, the property was deeded to the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, which is based in Dallas. The campus currently serves as the Seminary’s J. Dalton Havard School for Theological Studies.

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Park Place Baptist Church, 4105 Broadway St., Park Place, Houston

The campus consists of a sanctuary that seats 2,200 people and an array of connected structures grouped around a central courtyard — 94,435 sq. ft. in all. The parking lot, which stretches toward the banks of Sims Bayou on the property’s southern flank, has 255 spaces. The church’s signature feature is the long, thin-shell folded-concrete canopy over the walkway that stretches from the parking lot to the sanctuary (see photo at top).

Park Place Baptist Church, 4105 Broadway St., Park Place, Houston

The complex’s architects were Ben F. Greenwood with E. Gene Hines; it was completed in 1961. The property was listed for sale with Caldwell Companies last month.

Photos: Flickr user Acadian Crochet (top); arch-ive.org (sanctuary detail); Caldwell Companies (others)

Park Place Baptist

17 Comment

  • It’ll probably end up as a Mexican evangelical mega-church or maybe a giant flea market.

  • This building is kinda cool and it goes with the asthetics of the area. I hope it’s torn down if it’s only going to become a Mexican Flea Market or some poor congregation that can’t afford any upkeep and it just deteriorates into an eyesore. I like mid century modern when it’s done right, like in the case of this church.

  • Might make a pretty decent night club if it weren’t for the neighborhood

  • Looks to me like an ideal rehearsal and concert venue for Houston’s fine community musical organizations, like Houston Civic Symphony, Houston Brass Band, the Pride Band, and others. If they pooled all their money, they would probably be only $3.85 million short! Just another unfunded great idea!

  • This was on a Houston Mod tour. Architects were: original buildings: 1952, R. Graham Jackson and Frank C. Dill, large sanctuary and bell tower, 1961, Ben F. Greenwood

    http://www.arch-ive.org/madaboutmod.php

  • It’s not nearly big enough to handle the churches of today. It will probably get mucked up before it gets torn down

  • How ’bout putting that arboretum, here?

  • Yeah, poor people. They’re awful, aren’t they? I’m sure Jesus would agree. Poors should never have nice things. They just ruin them with their poorness.

  • How about a second Mark’s restaurant?

  • Robert: not at all, but historically these types of buildings require a lot of upkeep. That upkeep is $. Poor people, god bless em, are not known for their extra disposable dollars for building maintenance.

  • “The church’s signature feature is the long, thin-shell folded-concrete canopy over the walkway that stretches from the parking lot to the sanctuary”

    I have to disagree – the spire is much more prominent and remarkable, especially if you are just driving by.

  • I haven’t been to see this church but I’m putting it on my Forgivethemtheyknownotwhattheydo List – buildings that are awesome. Like Foley’s downtown.

  • Something odd about a Baptist seminary moving into a dying Baptist church. So is that the new solution: “Seminarians, if you find yourself in a dying church, check and see if the Seminary will move in.”

  • I was raised in this church back in the 50’s. Cut my teeth on the nursery beds! My grandparents attended and taught Sunday School in the old building. Brooks Wester was the pastor back then. Then the new building was built. My Dad and I touched the tip of the cross on the spire … before it was erected into place! Wonderful memories of the choir singing to the organ anthems. The deacons filing in from the wings and finding their places on the front row. Mrs. Johnson playing the opening theme on the organ. What memories! Oh that God would bring revival to this place of worship.

  • Jim,
    I’m with you. Great memories of worship services, Boyscout meetings and Sunday School. Brooks Wester was phenomenal and his Sermons stirred my mind. I am thankful to have been blessed by Park Place Baptist Church. Great people and much glory to God.
    Don Hilburn
    Carmel, CA

  • Jim Gardner: I was there with you. I was also standing there the day they set the cornerstone for the new sanctuary. First time I ever got behind the wheel of a car was in the shell church parking lot, on a Saturday.

  • So here it is four years later after the last service, and the building still stands, unoccuoied, still run by the seminary. At the last service of the members of the church, we were informed that there were leaks from the roof, etc. that would be too expensive to repair. Not mentioned was the fact that the seminary broke the lease with the members and kicked them out. I grew up in that building also, with many wonderful memories of pastors, teachers, and dear friends. It’s still a beautiful building, and a stunning landmark.