At Tumwater Falls Park, a historical marker tells the story of this place: “Here the Deschutes River cascades into Budd Inlet, the southernmost reach of Puget Sound and the end of the old Oregon Trail — the hard-won route of the pioneers. Despite British opposition to settlement north of the Columbia River, a small band of settlers founded here in 1848 the town of New Market, the first American community on Puget Sound. The Native name for the falls was Spa-kwatl. In Chinook jargon it became Tumwater, meaning ‘Throbbing Water,’ a name the town later adopted.”
It was in this same pioneering spirit that Tumwater Baptist Church began.
Like the early community itself, the church was born in a season of determination, hard work, and shared faith. As homes, mills, schools, and stores rose in the young settlement, believers gathered to worship and to build a gospel witness that would serve future generations.
Long before there was a church building, there were Christians meeting together. Following the pattern of the New Testament book of Acts, believers gathered wherever space could be found — including a downtown drug store. At that time, the Methodist church was the only established congregation in town.
When William Turner arrived in Tumwater in 1902, he faithfully worshiped with the local believers, though he longed to see a Baptist church planted. He began holding meetings in a vacant flour mill, and baptisms were held along the banks of the Deschutes River.
In 1907, H.B. and Sarah Lozier arrived — also Baptists — and opened their home for gatherings. That same year, on July 21, 1907, an organizational council formally established the church as a New Testament Baptist congregation.
The first meeting place was an old vacant drug store near what was then the city center. As the congregation grew, services moved to a former prune dryer building located in what is now the park area. Still growing, the church eventually secured property around 1912 and built a permanent church building on 2nd Street, just north of today’s Old Town Center.
By the 1950s, the congregation again needed more space. The construction of Interstate 5 dramatically reshaped downtown Tumwater, making it increasingly difficult to remain in the historic location.
With what members described as “a vision that sees beyond the years,” the church stepped out in faith and purchased property at the present site at X and Elm Streets.
Sunday school rooms were built first, with classes beginning there while worship services continued in the previous building. In September 1961, the new auditorium was completed and the church fully moved into its new home.
As the church continued to grow, additional classrooms and a fellowship hall were added following a congregational vote in April 1969. The expansion was designed by Eric Lake and built by contractor Ellies Deckert. In February 1978, the final loan payment was made, and the church celebrated being completely free of debt.
From riverbank baptisms to a growing church family, the story of Tumwater First Baptist Church is one of ordinary believers trusting God in each generation. We remain grateful for the faithfulness of those early Christians and committed to carrying the same gospel mission forward today.