Introduced Version
SENATE RESOLUTION No. ___
DIGEST OF INTRODUCED RESOL UTION
A SENATE RESOLUTION to honor the West Baden Renewal
Project for its efforts in restoring the West Baden (Colored)
First Baptist Church in West Baden Springs, Indiana.
.
YODER, KOCH
, read first time and referred to Committee on
2025 DR 3843/DI tg Introduced
First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025)
SENATE RESOLUTION ____
ME. PRESIDENT:
I offer the following resolution and move its adoption:
1 A SENATE RESOLUTION to honor the West Baden
2 Renewal Project for its efforts in restoring the West Baden
3 (Colored) First Baptist Church in West Baden Springs, Indiana.
4 Whereas, In 1920, at the corner of Sinclair and Elm Streets,
5 West Baden's (Colored) First Baptist Church was built on land
6 donated by West Baden hotel owner Lee Sinclair for $1;
7 Whereas, The Church became the foundation of West
8 Baden's Black community, where many came to work as
9 bellhops, maids, waiters, and other service staff for West Baden
10 Springs Hotel;
11 Whereas, When employment dried up, the church became
12 largely vacant by the early 1990s. The Town of West Baden
13 Springs eventually took ownership, but had no success in
14 selling the building;
15 Whereas, The West Baden (Colored) First Baptist Church
16 building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
17 in 1994 and is the sole African American landmark in West
18 Baden Springs on the Register;
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1 Whereas, By 2014, the church's poor condition landed it on
2 Indiana Landmark's ten most endangered historic places in the
3 state;
4 Whereas, The building's endangered status drew the
5 attention of the Southeastern District Association of the Indiana
6 Missionary Baptist State Convention. The group purchased the
7 building for $1, promising to restore it;
8 Whereas, Under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Bruce R.
9 Rose, Indiana historian and documentarian, Elizabeth Mitchell
10 and a dedicated group of volunteers from the Second Baptist
11 Church Bloomington began collecting donations and doing the
12 hands-on work;
13
14 Whereas, Workers saved original pews and the bell tower,
15 and incorporated part of a stained-glass window salvaged from
16 a historic church in Terre Haute; and
17 Whereas, The church has been through a miraculous
18 transformation. It is warm and bright, having been outfitted
19 with new flooring, bright white walls, and stained-glass
20 window pieces. The historic church now holds weekly Sunday
21 services and is a stunning showcase of a community's labor of
22 love: Therefore,
23 Be it resolved by the Senate of the
24 General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
25 SECTION 1. That the Indiana Senate honors West Baden
26 Renewal Project for its efforts in restoring West Baden's
27 (Colored) First Baptist Church.
28 SECTION 2. That the Secretary of the Senate is hereby
29 directed to transmit eight copies of this Resolution to the West
30 Baden Renewal Project.
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