Church building nominated for National Register of Historic Places

First Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau, also known as Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, has been nominated to be added to the National Register of Historic Places, and the application has been submitted to the National Park Service for approval.

Approved nominations are submitted to the National Park Service National Register of Historic Places staff, according to a news release on the Missouri Department of Natural Resources website. From there, a decision on whether to list the property is made within 45 days, and the overall process of listing the property takes about 180 days. To be listed in the registry, a building must possess historical significance and integrity at a local, state or national level. Most buildings need to be at least 50 years old to be considered.

Architectural historian Lesley McDaniel at the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) provided information that the owners of the building were interested in listing it on the National Register of Historic Places. Through the nomination process, SHPO and Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (MOACHP) have concurred on recommending it for nomination due to its significance in architecture as a Victorian Gothic style church in Cape Girardeau.

"According to the research provided with the nomination, the building was built in two stages, 1893 and 1896. Then, in 1957, a rear annex was added.

"The primary function over the years has been as a church for the First Baptist Church from 1893 to 1927 and First General Baptist Church from 1927 to 1973," McDaniel said. "Currently, Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church and Unitarian Universalist Fellowship use the building."

More information about the National Register of Historic Places, including the requirements and process for listing a property, can be found at www.mostateparks.com/page/85341/national- register-historic-places.