First Baptist Church was completely destroyed on May 3. 1901 during the Great Fire of 1901. In 8 hours, the fire destroyed 146 blocks making it the third largest urban fire ranking only behind San Francisco (1906) and Chicago (1871).

Looking north down Hogan Street, at Hemming Park, from the top of the post office building. First Baptist Church was located on the second street corner on the right.

[The building started out as Bethel Baptist Church, which was rebuilt after the fire as First Baptist, incorporating sections of masonry that survived the blaze. - Dave]

Do I see damaged leaded glass windows? Was this under repair or the aftermath of a storm?

[This is new construction waiting on windows. - Dave]

I had to look it up. From here: The reasons for a “Second” church forming in a community with a “First” church can vary. Sometimes, it’s the result of a difference in theology or practice. When serious divisions or disagreements within a particular denomination or congregation exist, and they cannot be equitably resolved, the result is often the formation of a new church and sometimes a new denomination. An easy, practical way to differentiate one church from the other was to refer to the dissenting church that came out of the first as “Second.”

First Baptist Church of Detroit
Second Baptist Church of Detroit
Third Baptist Church of Detroit

Oh so many years ago when visiting the US (I was probably 8 or 9), I always wondered why there were no Second Baptist or Second Methodist churches in any of the towns we were driving thru. One day I asked my grandmother. She couldn't stop laughing. Never did get a satisfactory answer.

Archfan: Thank you for that information. Very interesting. Answers the question that my grandmother had no clue of.

When I saw the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville on Google Street view, I thought it must have fallen on hard times, with the boarded up stained-glass window next to the elevated Metro track. But times are good. In the attached photo the Romanesque style church is still at the NE corner of Church and Hogan. But the Lindsay Building now joins the back of the church. A skywalk across Ashley Street connects the Lindsay Building to the Lindsay Memorial Auditorium (labeled Longs Medical Supply), from where services are broadcast. The auditorium is attached to a building sometimes labeled First Baptist Church Dining Room and a skywalk across Laura Street connects the dining room to the First Baptist Academy of Jacksonville. A skywalk across Beaver Street connects the Academy to the huge First Baptist Church Parking Garage No. 2 (No. 1 is at the corner of Laura and Ashley and connects to the dining room via skywalk).

Click to embiggen.

The Almighty didn't allow his (or her) house to be taken away, which is always a possibility when the property is in the heart of downtown (it's on the block behind Cohen Bros. -- "The Big Store").