This series of three pictures is particularly interesting at this time, following as it does the publication, in “The Suburban” last September 7, of the picture of the new education building of the Central Baptist Church. This recently completed addition was dedicated on Sunday, September 9, 1956.

This small building, which once stood on the corner of Conestoga road and West Wayne avenue, was the first church home of the early Baptists in this community. It was a gift made in 1841 to the congregation by William Siter, in whose home meetings previously were held. Often meetings were held in the small building which in its remodeled form still stands near the recent site of the Music Fund Hall.

This handsome edifice was built on the former site of the Music Fund Hall in 1890. However, only six years after its completion, a special business meeting was called “for the purpose of considering the advisability of securing a location for our church and rebuilding near the center of town” (quoted from the minutes of the meeting). After several subsequent meetings, a resolution was passed “to form a new Baptist Church in Wayne and to build on a lot on Lancaster avenue west of the Trust Company.” Soon thereafter, the Central Baptist Church was built on its present site and for more than 30 years there were two Baptist churches in the small Wayne community.

In January, 1929, services were discontinued in the old church on Conestoga road and in 1951 the building was demolished. A hardware store was built on the site.