Baylor University Expands Black Gospel Archive With Los Angeles Collection Saved From Wildfires
Baylor University's Black Gospel Archive acquired the Saviour Home Library, a collection of Los Angeles-based gospel recordings that were at risk of destruction due to regional wildfires. The archive, which has spent 16 years digitizing vinyl records including 45s and 78s, is now one of the largest repositories of Black sacred music in the country.
Baylor University's Black Gospel Archive expanded its collection in 2026 with the acquisition of the Saviour Home Library, a set of Los Angeles-based gospel recordings that were at risk of destruction due to regional wildfires.
The archive, part of Baylor's Black Gospel Music Preservation Program, has spent 16 years digitizing thousands of vinyl records, including 45s and 78s from the Golden Age of Black gospel music, roughly 1945 to 1975. The Saviour Home Library acquisition added a significant body of West Coast recordings to a collection that had previously focused more heavily on other regions.
The archive houses the Royce-Darden Digital Collection and the Black Gospel Preachers Project. It operates as an active research facility open to scholars and visitors.
Program staff said the wildfire threat that put the Los Angeles collection at risk underscored the urgency of preservation work. Many recordings from the mid-20th century exist in only one or two physical copies, and deterioration or disaster can mean permanent loss.
Baylor's program has been recognized as a national leader in the documentation of Black sacred music. Researchers use the archive to study the history of gospel music, its theological content, and its influence on American culture more broadly.
The archive continues to accept donations of recordings and related materials from families, churches, and collectors.
