1097 - First Christian Church

In 1901, the rough and tumble tent city of Lawton was filled with saloons, gambling dens, and, almost certainly, rowdy crowds. Many of the early arrivals were gamblers and saloon keepers who didn’t show much interest in religion. Regardless, the first church service was held on August 4, 1901 with twenty-five worshippers in attendance. The Reverend A.B. Carpenter, sent by the Oklahoma Territorial Missionary Society, arrived in Lawton two days before. You can’t help but wonder if he was prepared to see his chapel, nothing but a tent with wooden planks placed over nail kegs for backless pews. The tent was pitched at the corner of Goo Goo Avenue (now F Avenue) and 4th Street. In the early days, when services were not being held, the tent housed fifty cots for the rising crowd of prospective settlers. The church also became Lawton’s first bathhouse when a water barrel, with a hose protruding from its bottom, was erected inside.

Soon after First Christian Church began worship, a town lot was purchased for $387.50. The church moved its tent to the present location and erected a proper frame building. While no longer serving as a bathhouse, the church held organized meetings of the public schools and was home to Comanche County Court, until the first courthouse was built in 1905.

The current building was designed by architect Walter T. Vahlberg in Gothic Revival style. It was completed in 1928. Soon after its completion, a devastating fire tore through the beloved church, leaving only the outer walls standing. The church was rebuilt in 1929, following the exact plans of the original building. At first glance, the First Christian Church is nothing but majestic with its Gothic arch and round window sure to catch the eye of those visiting. The Sanctuary features ten stained glass windows depicting different religious symbols and a rose window, all of which survived the fire. The windows are said to be the most impressive stained-glass windows in southwest Oklahoma. At the top of every hour, sacred hymns echo through downtown Lawton, thanks to the church bells at First Christian, the oldest, still operating church in the original Lawton townsite. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and has served the community with love, shelter, and grace for over 120 years.