Deb Fowler, owner of Century 21 in Burlington, stands inside the former First Baptist Church, which she is selling for a client. The historic church built in 1884 is at 601 Washington St. Fowler said she has shown the church to several interested buyers over the past few weeks.
Dilapidated church up for sale in a bid to revive its legacy.
By Jeff Abell and Stacey Abell
It has stood across from the iconic Snake Alley as a testament to a church that was once vibrant with songs and praise.
The years have not been kind to the brick structure built in 1884. An exterior wall is crumbling, and the city of Burlington has deemed the structure unsafe.
Inside the church, pews keep their silent vigil surrounded by fallen debris from the ceiling. Light still streams through stained glass windows that still adorn the church.
The historic church at 601 Washington St. is for sale for the price of $14,900.
The estate of Stan Higdon, now deceased, put the church on the market a few weeks ago. Higdon purchased the vacant church in 2016 for $6,462, according to the Des Moines County GIS website. Higdon purchased the church from Jeremy and Tannie Grant.
Deb Fowler, broker/owner at Century 21, has shown the church to several interested buyers over the past few weeks. She even received an inquiry from a possible buyer in Washington, Iowa.
Fowler said the building could be adapted into just about anything — if the buyer has the resources to make that happen. She doesn’t know how long the building has been unoccupied, but flooding from the ceiling has rotted away huge swaths of the floor.
The edges of the exterior brick are crumbling — to the extent of a sizable hole that lets in sunlight. Certain areas of the church are unsafe to walk due to the risk of a collapsing floor.
“It’s gotten worse,” said Larry Caston, chief code and building inspector for the city of Burlington. “The structure is not great. We noticed it had gotten worse.”
Caston said Higdon purchased the building to rehab it. Sadly, he added, that never happened. The city of Burlington posted a notice on the building in June, before it went on sale, designating the church as an unsafe building.
Shortly after that, the city posted another notice on the church’s door, addressed to the owner. The notice said the church violates structural standards. The notice said the building has also become a public health hazard, likely due to the possibility of falling bricks.
The city of Burlington requested an engineering report on the structural stability of the church before the Stan Higdon Estate put it up for sale. The assessed value of the property is $40,000, according to the Des Moines County Assessor.
Shared History
On Sunday mornings, the unmistakable peal of a church bell echoes throughout Dankwardt and Crapo Parks. According to Parkside First Baptist Church office administrator Helen Scott, the bell is rung around 10:10 a.m. every Sunday, calling the congregation to worship.
Nestled in the church courtyard at 300 Potter Dr. since 1973, the impressive cast iron artifact was purchased with a gift from the estate of Kitty and Ben (Gore) Sandridge, charter members and formerly enslaved people who came to Burlington from Kentucky. The bell initially made its home at the First Baptist Church at 409 N. Fourth St. from 1865 to 1886. Its longest place of residence, however, consisted of 84 years at the now-vacant structure at Sixth and Washington.
In a written account of the church’s history compiled by Sarah Brissey and Trish Ditsworth, the design of the Romanesque building at the bottom of Snake Alley is attributed to Charles Dunham, a prominent Burlington architect. The church took a year and a half to build at a cost of $24,871 and was dedicated Jan. 2, 1887.
Accommodating up to 550 people in pews of polished oak and cherry, the interior was decorated with hand-painted murals and adorned with stained glass given as memorials in honor of deceased relatives.
“The entire effect is beautiful in the extreme,” exclaimed an article published in The Hawkeye Gazette on Jan. 3, 1887.
The structure was remodeled in 1952 at a cost of $20,000; the bell tower was removed and new carpeting, light fixtures, and cushions were added.
But as time passed, the needs of the congregation changed, and ground was broken for the construction of a new church building on Nov. 17, 1968.
“There were several reasons for the move (to the Potter Drive location),” said Brissey. “The building was outdated and needed major updates. Also, because of limited parking around the church.”
Longtime parishioner Donna Richardson, 93, started attending the church in 1938 — when she was 8-years-old. She’s still a member of the congregation, but hasn’t been in the former church since 1969 — when the church moved to the park.
“It was a wonderful experience. I was baptized there. We had a wonderful Sunday school. The church was a place you could go and be with Christian friends,” she said.
Saving Grace
City officials and former church members hope the structure can be returned to its former glory. Despite its structural condition, Fowler said the church is still beautiful.
“The glass is still good, and the pews are still good,” Fowler said.
Eric Tysland, community development and parks director for Burlington, said the city will work with whoever the new owners are to make sure it is structurally sound.
“The building remains placarded as abandoned/unsafe by the city. We are waiting on a plan of action for the building going forward with the current owner. This would potentially transfer to a new owner to address any safety items, but something will need to be completed to ensure the building remains stable and safe going forward,” Tysland said.
— William Smith contributed to this story.
