The baptistry painting at Wakefield Central Baptist Church in Zebulon, NC was painted by Walter Keul. This church sanctuary, which is not the original sanctuary, was completed in 1956, but we’re not sure of the date of this painting.

Baptistry artist Walter Keul seemed to take great care to make sure that his paintings extended out enough that a congregant would not be able to view the “edge” of his paintings. The painting for Arlington First Baptist Church, (see our post on February 12, 2015), by Keul was more of a “triptych,” which gives the impression of being surrounded by the scenery.

This baptistry has a very rusty floor and the steps are also rusty. Since it is a growing church, we imagine the rust comes from a lot of use!

This staircase leading up to the baptistry on the women’s side is as steep and narrow as it looks in this photo.

One notable difference between Keul’s baptistry paintings at Arlington First Baptist and Wakefield Central Baptist Church is the terrain. Arlington’s painting has mountains in it, and the church is located in the foothills of NC, with a view of the mountains. The painting at Wakefield Central, which is in the eastern part of the state and is a flatter region, does not feature mountains and the landscape is more similar to what one finds in that area.