First Baptist [1]
First Baptist Church [2], was located in the 300 block of North Tryon Street. The church can trace its history to 1832. In 1906, members decided that a new building was needed. The new church would include an auditorium that would seat over 1,000 people and would cost $50,000. Because the new building was to be located next door to the city's library, Andrew Carnegie agreed to donate $5,000 toward the purchase of an organ if First Baptist would use a design similar to that of the library. The new beautiful church with its Byzantine domes [3] and arched stained-glass windows was dedicated in 1909. The congregation moved to another facility in the early 1970s. In 1976, the building became known as Spirit Square.