Our History - A Century of Service in the Nitro Community
Our Baptist heritage in Nitro, West Virginia, began in the area now known as Lock Street, Tenth Street and First Avenue. A few houses, a depot and Mohler Lumber Company comprised the town with a post office named Lock Seven. The name Lock Seven was derived from the river locks that were completed in 1893 to facilitate river traffic on the Kanawha River.
A journey was made from Waco, Texas to Lock Seven, WV, now known as Nitro, WV, about the turn of the century by Rev. J.H. Roberts. There he was assisted by his brother Rev. T.C. Roberts of West Virginia in a series of meetings at Lock Seven. These meetings were held at the request of the local mission board of the Teays Valley Baptist Association. A local Baptist Church emerged as the result of these meetings.
On May 13, 1901, twelve brethren and sisters, with Rev. T.C. Roberts as leader met in the Lock Seven school house named "Riverview", on the hill at Tenth Street, and constituted themselves into the Lock Seven Baptist Church. Rev. J.H. Roberts was chosen moderator and Thomas I. Calvert as church clerk. This band of twelve were joined by eleven other "precious souls" who came by baptism, statement of Christian experience and transfer of letter from Coal's Mouth St. Albans Baptist Church. These twenty three souls were "charter members". For the first year of work done by Rev. J.H. Roberts, the church voted to pay him a sum of $19.00.
The next year, 1902, the church voted to erect a house of worship on an acre of land donated by Brother Charley Cony on the East side of Tenth Street on the hill. On May 25, 1902, this infant church had a day of rejoicing as they dedicated their new church building. The church reported membership of 68 by March 1906.
In 1917, the US Government purchased all the land and buildings in and around the village of Lock Seven and announced that a powder plant would be built. The name Nitro was selected for the area due to one of the ingredients commonly used at the gunpowder plant. As a result of the restrictions placed on access to the property around the church due to the powder plant, attendance began to drop as many families were made to move away and security of the government facilities hampered access to the church site. The church however, was able to survive the hardships.
In September 1923, the church hired its first full-time pastor, the Rev. G.C. Hoff. In December of that year, the church trustees obtained an option on a World War I Clubhouse on the corner of 22nd Street and Second Avenue. The building was purchased for $2500 which included the furniture and a new roof. The church changed its name to the First Baptist Church of Nitro on January 21, 1924. Two wings were added to the church around 1934. A new sanctuary (our current sanctuary) was dedicated on February 24, 1952. A new education building was completed on December 3, 1961. Church membership in 1963 was at 690.
The history of the First Baptist Church of Nitro is in effect the history of all our members, civic leaders, citizens, and others whose ambition has been to further the work of God. This history shows us the importance of men, women, and children who had dreams, provided leadership, and often times ignored economic endeavors to further the work of Christ. Our heritage is the record of loyalty, faithfulness, labor, trust in God and in each other to accomplish the ministry of the church.
-Excerpts taken from The Ninety Fifth Anniversary program
A journey was made from Waco, Texas to Lock Seven, WV, now known as Nitro, WV, about the turn of the century by Rev. J.H. Roberts. There he was assisted by his brother Rev. T.C. Roberts of West Virginia in a series of meetings at Lock Seven. These meetings were held at the request of the local mission board of the Teays Valley Baptist Association. A local Baptist Church emerged as the result of these meetings.
On May 13, 1901, twelve brethren and sisters, with Rev. T.C. Roberts as leader met in the Lock Seven school house named "Riverview", on the hill at Tenth Street, and constituted themselves into the Lock Seven Baptist Church. Rev. J.H. Roberts was chosen moderator and Thomas I. Calvert as church clerk. This band of twelve were joined by eleven other "precious souls" who came by baptism, statement of Christian experience and transfer of letter from Coal's Mouth St. Albans Baptist Church. These twenty three souls were "charter members". For the first year of work done by Rev. J.H. Roberts, the church voted to pay him a sum of $19.00.
The next year, 1902, the church voted to erect a house of worship on an acre of land donated by Brother Charley Cony on the East side of Tenth Street on the hill. On May 25, 1902, this infant church had a day of rejoicing as they dedicated their new church building. The church reported membership of 68 by March 1906.
In 1917, the US Government purchased all the land and buildings in and around the village of Lock Seven and announced that a powder plant would be built. The name Nitro was selected for the area due to one of the ingredients commonly used at the gunpowder plant. As a result of the restrictions placed on access to the property around the church due to the powder plant, attendance began to drop as many families were made to move away and security of the government facilities hampered access to the church site. The church however, was able to survive the hardships.
In September 1923, the church hired its first full-time pastor, the Rev. G.C. Hoff. In December of that year, the church trustees obtained an option on a World War I Clubhouse on the corner of 22nd Street and Second Avenue. The building was purchased for $2500 which included the furniture and a new roof. The church changed its name to the First Baptist Church of Nitro on January 21, 1924. Two wings were added to the church around 1934. A new sanctuary (our current sanctuary) was dedicated on February 24, 1952. A new education building was completed on December 3, 1961. Church membership in 1963 was at 690.
The history of the First Baptist Church of Nitro is in effect the history of all our members, civic leaders, citizens, and others whose ambition has been to further the work of God. This history shows us the importance of men, women, and children who had dreams, provided leadership, and often times ignored economic endeavors to further the work of Christ. Our heritage is the record of loyalty, faithfulness, labor, trust in God and in each other to accomplish the ministry of the church.
-Excerpts taken from The Ninety Fifth Anniversary program
