This 1914 photo of Black Diamond’s first Presbyterian Church was featured on a post card created by Holden Studio, Black Diamond’s primary photographer during its early year. Morgan Morgan, the Superintendent of the Black Diamond Coal Mining Co. which developed the town, declared that one church, the Congregational was sufficient. That original church was located on Baker Street at the site of the historic fire station in the future slated to be part of the Black Diamond Museum.
Eventually two new churches, one Presbyterian and one Catholic were built in Black Diamond, not far from each other. St. Barbara’s Catholic Church was dedicated in 1911, and the historic chapel still stands. The First Presbyterian Church of Black Diamond was organized by the Seattle Presbytery on Sept. 26, 1910 in a service moderated by Rev. David Blythe. Mrs. Jane (Powell) Allen, wife of Ben Allen turned the first shovelful of soil. Construction started in 1911 under the leadership of Joseph Metzler, a mine foreman. Metzler was the nephew of Joseph Steiert whose son, Carl Steiert organized the Black Diamond Historical Society. The church was located 150 feet east of Highway 169 on Lawson Street.
The dedication of the First Presbyterian Church was conducted over the weekend of Oct. 17- 20, 1914. The Rev. W.H. Hoole was its first pastor, while its first resident pastor, Reverend Joseph M. Robinson assisted. A service in the Welsh language was conducted by Rev. Josiah Danials. Early Black Diamond was primarily populated with coal miners and foreman from Wales, a country with a long tradition of mining coal. Over the years at least 17 pastors preached at the church with Rev. William Miller, who started in 1929 being the longest-serving.
The church was just under 3,000 square feet in size with a 12-foot by 12-foot castle-style tower reaching a height of 36 feet. The worship space on the first floor was built over a basement configured into nine rooms with an attic above.
In the early Monday morning hours of Jan. 5, 1959, this wooden structure was destroyed by flames whipped into a fury by high winds and blinding snow. A contemporary account reported, “The fire was fierce, and the weather did not help matters. The wind was blowing sparks and burning embers all over town.” David McCrindle was on his way home, so stopped and took five photos declaring, “It was the largest fire I’ve ever seen.” His photos are now housed in the Black Diamond Museum archives.
Fire Chief Tom Zumek determined the fire started in the church’s furnace room. The property upon which the church was stood was sold to the City of Black Diamond in 1963 for $45. It became the site of their City Hall and library. A new Presbyterian Church was constructed 400 feet to the east, at the intersection of Lawson Street and 5th Avenue, where Black Diamond’s second coal mine, fittingly named Mine. No. 2, once sat. It is now the site of Imagine Church co-founded by Robert & Annie Wachter.
This photo and much of the historical research comes courtesy of JoAnne Matsumura, an Issaquah historian and collector. Next week, a 1940 photo of this same church building.
