Second Baptist Church and Holy Corners Historic District

The Holy Corners Historic District consists of six separate religious institutions located in historic buildings near the intersection of Washington and Kingshighway Boulevards. These include St. John's Methodist Church (1902) designed by Theodore Link, along with a Christian Science church, Racquet Club building (1906), and Second Baptist Church (1907), designed by the architectural firm of Mauran, Russell, and Garden. The Holy Corners Historic District also includes Temple Israel (1908) and the Tuscan Temple (1908). In August 2021, it was announced that Monica Butler, a film and TV producer, was planning to redevelop the Second Baptist Church into a new St. Louis institution: The Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Cultural Arts, Entertainment, & Gospel Music Research Center. Although the project has faced some hurdles, plans are moving forward and funds are being raised, partly through hosting gospel music concerts off-site. The Second Baptist Church is a contributing structure to the Holy Corners Historic District, which is recognized as a National Historic District in addition to being a St. Louis City Landmark in the city's Central West End.

The Holy Corners Historic District contains six properties that contribute to the district's status as a St. Louis City Landmark. In recent years, the Second Baptist Church has received media attention when a film and TV producer, Monica Butler, announced her plans to redevelop the deteriorating building into a new museum and event venue: The Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Cultural Arts, Entertainment, & Gospel Music Research Center. As a child, Butler attended the Second Baptist Church in the city's Central West End. She has recently shared her broad vision regarding the site's redevelopment:

“Music brings people and cultures together, and you can’t listen to gospel music and not be moved. The Gospel Music Hall of Fame will focus on this celebrated aspect of Black culture along with the recognition of all forms of Gospel Music and become an anchor of the community while inspiring visitors of all races and religions through the power of song.”

In October 2021, however, the St. Louis Landmarks Association requested that the City Cultural Resources Office initiate a case of 'demolition by neglect.' As detailed in the request, the building's previous owner had allowed the building to deteriorate to the point where it was no longer a safe and functional space. The Landmarks Association noted that this caused a fire to break out in the church's campanile on October 27, 2021, causing further damage to the property.

Since 2019, the 40,000-foot building has been named as one of "Missouri's Places in Peril," despite contributing to the Holy Corners Historic District, which is on the National Register as well as being a City Landmark. Although the building's status is pending, it might have indeed met the wrecking ball had Butler not come forward with a strong commitment to preserve and renovate the property. Butler gained the support of a prominent local developer, Steve Smith, CEO of the Lawrence Group, who is overseeing development for the project. To raise additional funds, Butler plans to host gospel music concerts on Sundays at the City Foundry, an existing venue that Smith previously worked to develop.

Once the $22 million redevelopment is complete, the site will become one of the latest examples of an adaptive reuse project in St. Louis that also celebrates the city's cultural heritage. The coming years will see the historic property converted into a new museum, gospel music hall of fame, and cultural research center. The site will also include a state-of-the-art film theater, sound stage, and production facility, while also including an event venue space, courtyard, and cafe. In the meantime, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame is incorporating as a registered non-profit organization.

Built St. Louis | Historic Churches, Built St. Louis. Accessed November 18th, 2022. https://www.builtstlouis.net/churches/church24.html.

Holy Corners - City Landmark #47, St. Louis MO Gov. Accessed November 18th, 2022. https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/planning/cultural-resources/city-landmarks/holy-corners.cfm.

MWM Staff. St. Louis to debut Missouri's own Gospel Music Hall of Fame, Metro Wire Media. August 19th, 2021. Accessed November 18th, 2022. http://www.metrowiremedia.com/stlnews/missouris-own-gospel-music-hall-of-fame.

Landmarks Association Request on Second Baptist, St. Louis Today. January 24th, 2022. Accessed November 18th, 2022. https://www.stltoday.com/landmarks-association-request-on-second-baptist/pdf_50f1d931-a162-58aa-8298-b539a20ac20f.html.

Goodwin, Jeremy D. . Historic St. Louis Church Could Become National Center For Gospel Music, St. Louis Public Radio. August 13th, 2021. Accessed November 18th, 2022. https://news.stlpublicradio.org/arts/2021-08-13/historic-st-louis-church-could-become-national-center-for-gospel-music.

Preserving and Enlightening a New Wave of Gospel Music, Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Accessed November 18th, 2022. https://www.mogospel.com/.

Holy Corners Historic District - Nomination Form - National Register of Historic Places, NPS. Accessed November 18th, 2022. https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/63820766/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MO/75002138.pdf.