Frank Hardy Made My Photographs Two

This post is going to be all over place … Going from Bayview Park on Bayou Texar to First Baptist’s new church building on Palafox Street, so please bear with me on this.  But at least you are going to see some interesting images that I do not think that I have posted before or if I have it was years ago.  Here we go … the other day Troy Moon from the Pensacola News Journal wrote an article about some group wanting to remove the cross at Bayview Park on Bayou Texar. The cross sits on the site where the Easter Sunrise Services were first held and the group wants the cross aken down because it offends them – my words not Troy’s.  I do not have any photos of the cross, but I do have photos from one of the Easter Sunrise Services that was held on the site from back in the 1950’s.  The First Baptist Church of Pensacola held the services and it was widely attended by thousands of people and I can remember going with my parents and having a good time as a kid. The choir’s sashes have ” PHS ” on them, so I am assuming them to be from Pensacola High School.  That could never happen today …. a public school participating in a Christian Church’s function would most likely take an act of Congress in these times for that to happen.  But I will not go there … Here is another view of the stage –

Apparently First Baptist Church was in a growth spirt at this time and they were out growing the building that they had been in and had decided to build a new sanctuary on Palafox Street in downtown Pensacola.  I know that I have photos of the original church and congregation in older posts, so if you want to search them here on the blog, please feel free.  So they must have been doing something right at the Easter Services since the church was attracting new members.  Now this is where I shift gears and go to some ground breaking photos on Palafox …

I have no idea who these people are and I have other photos from the ground – breaking, but these were handy and ready.  Now I am going to move onto some the new sanctuary photographs …

The second image is a panorama view from the first service held in the new church sanctuary.  I have a photo of Reverend Jim Pleitz that I ran across and I am embarrassed to admit that I do not know if he was here when the new church was built, but I am sure that someone out there can tell us …

And the last photo is a view of downtown Pensacola with a sign and a cross adverting the Easter Sunrise Service at Bayview Park.  You know that would never be allowed today, since no telling how many people that it would offend today.  I want to thank Troy Moon for writing the article and it would be worth your time to read it and see how ridiculous this group’s request is.  Whatever happened to if you do not like something, just turning your head until you pass or just not going there to begin with.  I guess that the people who like the cross’s meaning and beauty have no say so in this issue.  Here is the Pensacola downtown photo …

Thanks to Troy Moon for writing the article and I am sure he will keep us posted with the group’s progress in demolishing / taking-down the cross.  Stay safe … it is a crazy world out there!!!  That is it for me.  Feel free to comment and please check back and please read the PNJ … Who knows, maybe Andy Marlette will draw a cartoon with Mayor Ashton with a hammer and chisel taking down the cross and the City Council picking up the pieces and hauling them off in Councilman May’s truck.