What is the most frequently used adjective in the names of churches in the United States? Is it ‘Saint” which is frequently used by Catholics, Episcopalians and some other Protestant denominations? Or is it first? Whenever there were a sufficient number of Baptists living in a village or town, they formed a congregation. And, quite frequently, they selected as the name for their church “First Baptist Church of_____.” From time to time, you find a Second Baptist Church such as the one on Monroe Street in Detroit. I know of very few congregations that used Third or Fourth in the name of a church, Baptist or otherwise.
The rest of the name of this church has a more interesting history, thanks to Lewis Cass. England was riven by Civil War from 1642 to 1650 as the Parliamentarians, led by Oliver Cromwell, challenged the defenders of the Monarchy; that is, the Royalists with King Charles I as their leader. The Parliamentarians defeated the armies of King Charles I, captured him, tried him and executed him. Eventually his son, Charles II carried on in the long English Civil War. But he and his army were defeated by the forces of Cromwell at the Battle of Worcester on September 3, 1651. Fearing that he would suffer the same fate as his father, Charles II hid in a very large oak tree. Eventually, he escaped and went to live in France for years.
Oliver Cromwell ruled England for about seven years but died in 1658. His followers and assistants were not able to maintain their control of the government. After several years of political controversy and bitter disputes, Charles II returned from his exile in France in May, 1660, resumed his appointment and ruled as king of England for 25 years.
Lewis Cass served as Territorial Governor of Michigan from August, 1813 to October, 1831 when he resigned to serve as Secretary of War in President Jackson’s cabinet. The trail from Detroit to Pontiac was surveyed in 1819 with the aim of establishing a road. It eventually became Woodward Avenue. Lewis Cass was in this area in 1819 and observed a very large oak tree. Apparently, thinking about the key role a massive oak tree played in the preservation of the British monarchy, Cass commented that the tree before him was certainly a “Royal Oak.” So we are coming upon the 200th anniversary of the naming of this community. If Cass knew less about English history, this place might be known now as Big Tree.
The population grew here in the 1820s, and by 1836, a rail line passed through Royal Oak on its way from Detroit to Pontiac. The Methodists were the first to organize a congregation in this area. In January, 1839 twenty Baptists met and organized this congregation. The next month ten of them were baptized in Red Run Creek. I assume that being baptized in a Michigan waterway in February is pretty strong evidence of your faith. Interestingly, one of the ten was Hamlet Harris, an African-American woman who contributed funds for the building the first church. That one was constructed in the summer of 1839 and was located near the corner of Main and Third, close to where the church you see pictured above is located.
The first church was replaced by a new one in 1876 at the same or an adjoining site. I presume that this second church was a wooden one. There was additional construction in 1918, and in 1921, I think the first brick church was built. An educational building was completed in 1950. The current structure that you see pictured here was built in 1965.
In 2000, a group of members of the Kensington Community Church in Troy formed a new congregation called Genesis: the Church in Downtown Royal Oak. In 2010, that congregation merged or was accepted into the First Baptist Church of Royal Oak.
The State of Michigan Commemorative Marker was raised to mark the 150th anniversary of this congregation.
Date of Construction of the present church: 1965
Architect for this church: Unknown to me.
Use in 2015: Church
State Registry of Historic Sites: P24,397 Listed December 15, 1988
State of Michigan Historical Marker: Erected April 27, 1989
National Register of Historic Places: Not listed
Photograph: Ren Farley; June 29, 2009
Description prepared: January, 2015
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Date of Construction of the present church: 1965
Architect for this church: Unknown to me.
Use in 2009: Church
Website: http://firstbaptistro.org/
State Registry of Historic Sites: P24,397, Listed December 15, 1988
State of Michigan Historical Marker: Erected April 27, 1989
National Register of Historic Places: Not listed
Photograph: Ren Farley; June 29, 2009