Hospital Will Spare Old Baptist Chapel — Won’t Raze Germantown Landmark That Dates to 1870

By Clay Bailey bailey@yourappealcom

The historic former Germantown Baptist Church chapel will be spared when Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital begins dismantling buildings in the way of its expansion.

The hospital has submitted its rezoning application for the property west of its current facility. An accompanying application for a grading permit includes removing the former church office buildings, last used by the Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary.

But the work will leave the white clapboard chapel with the green shutters, which was built in 1870 and sits on the edge of the Old Germantown district.

“It was a request by Germantown Baptist Church and the city to maintain the historic chapel,” Jerry Cook, Germantown community development director, said. “Not only for its historical significance, but as an entry way piece to the Old Germantown section.”

David Baytos, the hospital’s chief executive officer, said leaving the chapel made sense, not only for historical purposes, but to fulfill the spiritual needs of people at the hospital.

“With this expansion taking place, we wanted to provide a chapel for use by patients and families and for various religious programs that are provided by our chaplains,” Baytos said. “What better facility to have than the current chapel?”

The hospital’s rezoning and grading applications, which the city’s Planning Commission will consider Tuesday, is the latest step in moving onto the former church site.

The expansion plans include a new parking garage, pavilion for women and children’s medicine and renovating parts of the current hospital.

The end result, expected to take about four years, will mean 100 more beds and 200 additional employees, hospital officials said.

There is a pending hurdle. St. Francis has challenged the certificate of need granted to Methodist Healthcare, authorizing the expansion. A hearing could take place in August, Baytos said.

But the hospital is moving forward with the site plans and the rezoning, since hospitals fit in the commercial district and the land currently is zoned residential.

A grading application was requested for the site, thereby taking care of the demolition and providing the city information regarding the utilities and infrastructure.

Baytos said the demolition of the Baptist Church offices will be done somewhat methodically to salvage any materials.

“It won’t be as grandiose as the implosion of the old Baptist Hospital,” Cook said, “but it will be big for Germantown.”

– Clay Bailey : 529-2393

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