Historic Documentation: Park Place Baptist Church

Ryan Chen
Jun 5
5 min read

Updated: Aug 12

Identification

Name: Park Place Baptist Church

Year Built: 1902

Architectural Style: Romanesque Revival

Original Purpose: Religious institution meant for worship

Current Status: The property is currently owned by The Hanson Company and is being redeveloped by The Real McCoy Company into affordable senior housing.

Overview

Park Place Baptist Church is a Romanesque Revival church constructed in 1902 in the Park Place neighborhood of Norfolk, Virginia. On February 10, 2006, the building was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure within the broader Park Place Historic District. The building is a prominent structure within the Park Place Historic District, an area developed primarily during Norfolk’s streetcar-era expansion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The church features typical Romanesque Revival architectural characteristics, including rounded arches, brick walls, and a fortress-like structure.

The congregation grew significantly during the mid-20th century, reportedly reaching approximately 2,300 members at its peak in the 1950s. Membership declined steadily over time, and by 2012, only a small congregation of a couple of dozen remained, leading to the church’s final service that year.

After closure, the building was used intermittently by other congregations before becoming fully vacant by 2016. During this period, the structure experienced deterioration and reported incidents of theft, including the removal of stained-glass windows. The building is currently undergoing redevelopment to be repurposed as affordable senior housing.

Historical Background/Analysis

Similar to the previously documented Christian Temple Church, Park Place Baptist Church was built during a period of rapid growth in the Park Place neighborhood, a former affluent streetcar suburb. According to local newspaper reports, the church originated as an offshoot of the Freemason Street Baptist Church. Church records indicate that the lot was bought for around $1,150, or around $45,000 dollars today when adjusted for inflation. An educational wing was later built in 1925. Local newspapers often described it as a "silk-stocking" church with an affluent congregation for those who did not want to go downtown, reflecting Park Place's former role as a quieter residential area for well-off families. At its peak in the 1950s, it had a congregation of over 2300 members and even had its own radio program. The church was known for its mahogany pews, widely associated with wealth and prestige, due to mahogany's durability and costly production and importation process. Finally, the Park Place Baptist also featured a large library with thousands of texts and a large pipe organ. All of this reflected the congregation's financial strength and community influence during this period.

However, by the 1960s, the church began to face a declining congregation. Aligning with a broader trend of suburbanization, many families began moving out of Norfolk and into Virginia Beach or Chesapeake. While many families returned for worship, younger generations often did not maintain this connection. This trend also coincided with broader national declines in church attendance during the late 20th century. However, despite a decline in membership, the church's architectural and cultural significance was officially recognized on February 10, 2006, with its listing on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure within the Park Place Historic District. After the church's closure in 2012, it was temporarily occupied by the African-American Urban Community Church and later by another congregation, Alethia, until 2016. However, the large capital required to fully restore the building soon proved too much for local churches to handle, so they eventually moved elsewhere.

Based on available online sources, the church appeared to have been largely abandoned and transferred through various companies from 2016 to 2021. During this vacancy period, the church continued to experience deterioration and theft, including the theft of stained-glass windows. However, by 2021, the building was purchased by the Hanson Company and was valued at $615,000. The Real McCoy Company later partnered with the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA) for an investment of around $12 million. They aim to build around 40-70 affordable housing units while preserving the building. The NRHA will be able to provide valuable tax credits to help keep housing units accessible while also having a 30% stake in developments.

The Real McCoy Company is currently leading the redevelopment project. However, the church property must be rezoned in order to make this project financially feasible. The current zoning of Park Place is designated as neighborhood multifamily zoning. This limits the number of residential units permitted on the site, making affordable redevelopment financially difficult unless the units are marketed at luxury prices. Normally, a developer would undergo a lengthy and expensive legal process to change the zoning, which small developers like Real McCoy cannot afford. Instead, they are pushing for the Faith in Housing Bill. This bill would allow nonprofits and religious institutions to bypass the rezoning process to build affordable housing on land they have owned for at least five years. This bill has been passed by the state legislature and was recently signed by the governor. The bill will take effect in January 2027, potentially allowing redevelopment to proceed.

Field Observations/Condition Assessment

Heavy deterioration of the building
Evidence of vandalism and graffiti on exterior walls
Several window openings are boarded, aligning with reports of glass-stained windows getting stolen
Some windows are completely empty with the boards destroyed, exposing interior
The interior of the church seen through windows appears very dirty and unorganized
Base of the building appears very dirty and stained, potentially due to long term exposure to water
Bricks appear to be missing or crumbled in some sections of the outer wall
Surrounding parking lot contains multiple parking lots with signs of heavy neglect
Lawn next to the walls is ill-maintained with dead spots and patchy grass
Strong contrast with the nearby Park Place United Methodist Church that has undergone renovations

Timeline of Events

Year	Event
1902	Park Place Baptist Church Constructed
1925	Educational building built
1950s	Church reaches its peak with a congregation of around 2300 people.
1960s	Church membership begins to decline amid suburbanization and secularization trends.
2006	Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure within the Park Place Historic District.
2012	Church closes and later occupied by the African-American Urban Community Church
2012-2016	African-American Urban Community Church transferred the church to another congregation called Alethia
2016	Church abandoned by Alethia Church due to financial reasons
2021	Property purchased by Hanson Company for $615,000 with plans for redevelopment into affordable housing for seniors
2027	Faith In Housing Bill will go into effect, possibly allowing the Real McCoy Company to start their project

References

Evans, H. (1997). HISTORIC ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY OF THE CITY OF NORFOLK PC_’AN VIEW Final Report Prepared by. https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/pdf_files/SpecialCollections/NR-38_Norfolk_Historic_Architecture_Survey_1997.pdf

Hafner, K. (2018, April 26). Norfolk’s historic Park Place Baptist Church could be getting new life. The Virginian-Pilot. https://www.pilotonline.com/2018/04/26/norfolks-historic-park-place-baptist-church-could-be-getting-new-life-2/

HB1279 - 2026 Regular Session | LIS. (2026). Virginia.gov. https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1279

Leayman/arlnow, E. (2026, April 30). Faith in Housing bill clears path for church-based affordable housing. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/churches-affordable-housing-virginia-496d9250793870f5b7c435f6205e333f

Munro, I. (2024, April). Developer seeks to turn empty Norfolk church into affordable senior housing. The Virginian-Pilot. https://www.pilotonline.com/2024/04/01/developer-seeks-to-turn-empty-norfolk-church-into-affordable-senior-housing/

Seltzer, K. (2026, March 16). General Assembly is a “yes” on “Yes in God’s Backyard” housing legislation. The Virginian-Pilot. https://www.pilotonline.com/2026/03/16/afforable-housing-yes-in-gods-backyard-general-assembly/

Virginia. (n.d.). https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/122-5087_ParkPlaceHD_2006_NR_final.pdf

Virginia’s New “Faith in Housing Act” to Facilitate Development, Increase Affordable Housing. (2026, May 11). McGuireWoods. https://www.mcguirewoods.com/client-resources/alerts/2026/5/virginias-new-faith-in-housing-act-to-facilitate-development-increase-affordable-housing/