Hazelwood Baptist Church

Hazelwood Baptist Church History

The Beginning

The history of the Hazelwood Baptist Church has its beginnings in Runford, Essex, England. It was here on June 24, 1879 that Charles Benjamin Althoff was born. In 1892 his mother and stepfather emigrated to America and settled in Brooklyn, New York.

Charles accepted Christ as his personal Savior in 1896 and after uniting with the 1st Baptist Church in Brooklyn, felt called of God to preach the Gospel. He was known as the "boy preacher" of Brooklyn, often preaching in missions and working in the Y.M.C.A. In 1901 he had charge of the Euclid Avenue Baptist Church in Brooklyn.

In 1902, Charles Althoff came to Louisville to attend the Southern Baptist Seminary and complete his theological training. Because of his enthusiasm he endeared himself to the entire faculty.

Previous experience in Y.M.C.A. work enabled him to secure the position of assistant secretary of the Railroad Y.M.C.A. at 10th & Broadway. There was still time to labor for the Lord. He found in the suburbs of Louisville a community known as the Jacob's addition and a mile down the road was the Meacham addition, both were without any religious services.

Charles Althoff held services in the Jacobs School in the morning and in the afternoon a Mr. D.C. Lowe let them meet in his home in the Meacham addition. Many people had to be urged to attend services. On the first Sunday afternoon, there were 6 present besides Mr. Lowe's family, 25 the second Sunday and on the third Sunday there were about 40.

Hazelwood Baptist Church Is Named

Sometime in the fall of 1903 the services of these two communities were combined in the Meacham area. The name Hazelwood came from the farm of 80 acres belonging to Mrs. Alma Bergman. One evening a visiting minister called the mission, “The Hazelwood Baptist Church”, and from then on it was known by that name.

The mission first began in Mr. Lowe’s home, then in Mr. Thomas Rawling’s home. Because these locations were too small, they rented a vacant storeroom belonging to Mr. A. Bachman for $3.00 per month. About this time they felt they should start paying the preacher a salary of $2.00 per month. The Treasurer’s report for May 3, 1903 showed a balance of $2.44, Sunday School collection $.30, church collection on April 26th, $2.65, total $5.39, paid Bro. Althoff $2.00, paid rent $3.00, balance $.39, Thomas Long Treasurer. (Wednesday night’s collection was given to Bro. Althoff for car fare).

The Mission church had no mother church in the city to help it. It was standing entirely alone.

The Hard Work Begins

The Ladies Aid was organized May 28, 1903 with Mrs. George Royce its’ first President. Dues were $.05 per month. The objects of the Ladies Aid were: To visit the sick, help the poor in the many ways they could be helped, help the church by entertainments of different kinds and to do all they possibly could. The place of meeting was the storeroom at 7:30 each Tuesday night.

The Ladies Aid raised the price of the lot on which the first church was erected, the corner of Wheeler and Bluegrass, by giving a 4th of July event.

Soon after the organization of the Ladies Aid, a tent was secured from the Y.M.C.A. On July 26, 1903 at 3:00 p.m., under the tent, the church was organized with 24 charter members. Following the reception, Bro. Althoff was publicly examined and was ordained to the Gospel Ministry the same afternoon. The Long Run Board was asked to continue to help on the Pastor’s salary. A building committee was selected and a subscription taken for a church building.

The Ladies Aid paid for the shingle roof on the church and 9 years later paid for the tin roof to be put on. They bought 204 chairs, paid for the concrete floor of the assembly hall, ceiling, painted it and made small rooms.

The Board of Trustees on February 19, 1904 filed with the Auditor of the state articles of its’ incorporation.

On June 14, 1904, Carter Helm Jones, then pastor of Broadway Baptist Church, turned the first shovel full of dirt for the foundation of the church. Money and materials were collected all over the city. Eight art glass windows came as one donation. When the church was completed it was valued at $3,600 and not one penny of indebtedness. Dr. E.Y. Mullens, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary preached the dedicatory sermon on April 9, 1905. The church was crowded and many people were standing in the yard.

Rev. Charles B. Althoff served as pastor until 1914. Then went to Chicago, and later to Beechmont Baptist Church in Louisville. He died in 1970.