In March 2014, Timmons Hall faced the looming threat of demolition when the plot in which it resided was sold to developers. However, the people of Springfield were not going to let this African American landmark be destroyed.

Today, the temple stands tall and proud at the entrance of Silver Springs Park. Volunteer and board member of Friends of Timmons Temple, Lori Tack, tells the five-year story of determination and resilience, and where the project is heading now.

Photo via Lori Tack.

“We called this project the ‘Monument of Faith’ because we didn’t know what we were getting into, and there were so many different components that came into it. We had to figure out ‘Could we move it? Where would we move it? How much would it cost?’ and because Silver Springs was historically an African American park, designated during Jim Crow laws, it just made sense to bring Timmons Hall here,” explained Tack.

Timmons Hall, previously known as Timmons Temple: Church of Christ, was an African American church built in 1932. The building, as well as Silver Springs Park, was designed as part of the Civilian Conservation Corps after the Great Depression.

Rather than let the building be demolished, community members came together to donate their time and money to move the building across the street, as well as renovate the inside of the building to reflect the original period-style.

Photo via Lori Tack.

“So many people donated their time. But it couldn’t have been done without the support of the parks department. They are a huge part of this project,” stated Tack. “Everybody’s part was super important, and the fact that they let a bunch of citizens come and do this: it’s just a testament to what a cool community we live in when people come together and rally against something.”

The larger donations for the project came from the developers themselves, the owner of the Springfield Coca-Cola plant and the O’Reilly family.

“There was no color, this was a really progressive area; white and black people mixed together. This idea helped us raise the money to move the building, too, because there were people that lived in this neighborhood, like the owner of the Coca-Cola plant, which used to be right by Drury. The same man who ran it then, Edwin ‘Cookie’ Rice, he hasn’t lived in the neighborhood for a long time, but when he found out we were trying to move the building, he gave a significant donation,” explained Tack.

Now, five years later, Timmons Hall is in a transitional period as the parks department opens the building to the public. Tack is excited for what the building will become.

“Part of the process was deciding what this building was going to become. Of course, we wanted to have a mini-museum to tell the story of this building, as it’s so important to Springfield’s African American community, old and new. We also received a grant for a six-month cultural performance series,” Tack explained. “Music runs deep in the history of Timmons Hall, and we want to make sure that continues. The series will feature African American performances, and we are hoping to focus on youth especially.”

Keep your eye out for the grand opening of Timmons Hall. In the meantime, stop by Silver Springs Park to marvel at the unique Ozarks architecture and the stories of resilience, compassion and community that the building symbolizes.

Written by Delilah Gadd.