22nd Avenue Baptist Church: history and property survey

              VII. Description
Twenty-second Avenue Baptist Church is at 2614 22nd Avenue North, within a historic African-American neighborhood
directly east of railroad tracks and U . S. Highway 31 . It is a Gotl)ic Revival styled one-story building, which rests on a full
raised basement. It has a brick and concrete foundation and an asphalt shingle gable roof.
The south fac;:ade was covered with a brownish permastone c . 1952, at which time a two-story educational building was
added to the rear of the church. The gable-front fac;:ade has large projecting corner towers with battlemented parapets and
large round-arched louvered belfry vents on the outer faces while smaller Gothic-arched vents are on the inner faces. A wide
stone-faced brick and concrete staircase, with dual metal railings, rises from the sidewalk to the sanctuary level entrance.
There is a one-story flat-roofed loggia porch between the towers with a trio of round arches giving access to the double-door
entry, now fitted with replacement stippled glass doors with transom, added for security c. 1980. The door has a flat arch with
a keystone Flanking the doors are paired rectangular painted glass windows, their original heavy concrete heads now
covered by permastone segmental arches . The triple-arched loggia-a rarity for the Civil Rights churches of Birmingham­adds
a Romanesque influence to the building's architecture. A small trio of louvered vents in the gable peak echoes the
portal arches below them . The centered round-head primary painted glass window in the gable face behind the porch is
partially obscured by the metal and neon sign that spells out "22nd Ave Baptist Church," which was installed c. 1952. On the
basement level of the towers are small projecting shed vestibules with six-panel wood doors. There are also tower entries
into the vestibule off the main porch.
The west elevation shows the 1917 original red brick three-bay sanctuary wall, with a belt course dividing it from the
basement level, which has been stuccoed and painted white . The main sanctuary windows are large painted g \1-ss and
definitely Gothic, set in the smaller crossing gabled bays and framed by three rows of header bricks; these windows have a
rectangular lower panel and an upper arched portion with wooden tracery. Smaller editions of these are anterior to them
behind the vestibule, while toward the north end are two lancets. Eaves on the sides are deep, with some exposed rafter
tails. The basement windows are four-light metal casement windows, installed c. 1952.
The red brick one-story on a raised basement educational building projects from either end of the north elevation of the 1917
church building, creating aT-wing to the original church . Its west elevation has three symmetricalbays on the sanctuary
level. A central metal door is flanked by a six-over-six double-hung window to the south and a four-pane metal-frame window
to the south. Access to the door is provided by a metal staircase, with metal railings, that is supported by metal and concrete
posts. At the basement level, a metal security door, installed c. 1985, is at the northwest corner.
The east elevation is similar to the west elevation. The differences are with the educational building. There is no side
entrance; rather a two-panel wooden door entrance, with concrete stoop, is placed on the south side of the projecting
addition, facing the front of the church.
The north (rear) elevation is a red brick wall, with exposed rafters on the eaves, on the gable end of the 1917 church . The
asphalt flat-roof educational building, however, has eight symmetrical bays on both the first and basement floors. The
windows are one-over-one double-hung.
The interior reflects both the 1917 and 1952 construction dates associated with the building . The large vestibule contains
staircases to the balcony and to the basement on either side . Double doors lead into the sanctuary. The original dark
appearance of the woodwork was changed by painting white paneled facings to the original balcony, white pews, and white
church furniture . The balcony wrpps around three sides of the sanctuary and is supported by round iron poles. The
hardwood floors remain but have been carpeted in most areas. Double aisles lead to the dais and central pulpit with the
sacrament table below; the side sections of pews are canted slightly toward the aisles. Choir seats are slightly elevated
behind the pulpit stage, while the baptistry is sunk in the floor. The ceiling is acoustical tiles with glitter in them, and the walls
are plastered, painted white. According to an interview with church official Julius Clark in 1999, the interior was updated in
1952 but only new furnishings and pews were installed. Most other architectural elements from 1917 remain extant. The
basement is now mostly used as a fellowship hall while the educational building wing contains classrooms, a men's restroom,
a women's restroom, and closets.