Bayshore Baptist Church

Did the Bayshore Baptist Church always stand here? No, it hasn’t. The current Bayshore Baptist Church welcomes you at 3111 West Morrison Avenue. But its story began at a different location, 2200 Dekle Avenue. Back in 1928, the congregation laid the foundation for its first home, a Spanish Mission-style building designed to hold 400 members. This original Bayshore Baptist Church became a part of Tampa’s vibrant Hyde Park neighborhood during its boom. The Burgert Brothers captured the construction process, preserving images of the growing church at the intersection of Dekle and DeSoto Avenues. As the congregation grew, so did their need for a larger space. By the mid-1950s, the original building could no longer accommodate the expanding membership. The Bayshore Baptist Church relocated to its present location. On Thanksgiving Day 1956, over 1,000 members celebrated their first service at 3111 Morrison Avenue. Interestingly, the old church building at 2200 Dekle didn’t disappear. In 1983, architect Peter Pizzi purchased and repurposed the structure. Today, it stands as the DeSoto Building, a multi-unit office complex, though its bell tower dome is now gone. Bayshore Baptist Church continues to serve the community. It transformed from a small, 400-member congregation in Hyde Park to a much larger group. It moved across Tampa. The church’s history shows its dedication to its members. It continues its welcoming, transforming, and serving mission at its current location.