First Methodist Church (Marshall, Texas)

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First Methodist Church
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First Methodist Church in 2016
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First Methodist Church
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First Methodist Church
Location300 E. Houston St.,
Marshall, Texas
Coordinates 32°37′33″N94°21′59″W / 32.62583°N 94.36639°W / 32.62583; -94.36639
Arealess than one acre
Built1860 (1860)
Built byAlexander Pope, Billington Smalley
Architectural style Greek Revival
NRHP reference No. 80004133 [1]
RTHL No. 10157
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 16, 1980
Designated RTHL1965

First Methodist Church of Marshall (Methodist Episcopal Church South of Marshall, First Methodist Episcopal Church South of Marshall, and First United Methodist Church of Marshall ., is historic Methodist congregation in Marshall, Texas. From 1861 to 2024, the congregation met at 300 E. Houston Street in Marshall, Texas. The building was a stuccoed brick Greek Revival-style church that had a portico with four monumental square columns; such architecture is rare in Texas. [2] The building was added to the National Register in 1980. [1] A fire on the morning of December 9, 2024 left the building in ruins and it was subsequently determined to be unsalvageable and demolished in 2025.

Contents

History

The church began as part of the circuit riding of Littleton Fowler in 1839 and was reorganized as a permanent congregation under Job M. Baker as in 1845. [3] The church held its meetings in a schoolhouse until 1853, when it moved to a converted building. The church acquired lots 1 and 6 of block 9 in the Original Town Site on April 6, 1860 from Thomas and Mary Bennett for $500 and swapped land with William and Mary Johnson to gain an 85‐foot frontage on East Houston Street.The congregation decided on March 10, 1860 to build the new sanctuary and on July 6, 1860 contracts were awarded to Billington Smalley for the woodwork and Alexander Pope for the foundation and walls.

It was documented in 1936 by the Historic American Buildings Survey. [4] The portico was originally topped by a belfry but that was replaced in 1949 by a large octagonal cupola. It was built during 1860 to 1861 by slave labor. Its builders included mason Alexander Pope and carpenter Billingon Smalley. It was expanded in 1949 and in 1958. [2]

Enoch Mather Marvin served at First Methodist and was elevated to Bishop of Trans-Mississippi Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South during his tenure in Marshall. [5] Marvin Methodist Episcopal Church, South in Tyler is named after him.

During the American Civil War, Confederate supplies were stored in the basement and it was the site of organization for the war effort. It was the site of the first conference, in 1862, of the Trans-Mississippi states convened by Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Texas Governor Lubbock, Missouri Governor Jackson, and representatives of Arkansas and Louisiana participated. [2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 Wm. Keeton Turner and Lissa Anderson (April 22, 1980). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: First Methodist Church". National Archives.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help) (accessible by searching within National Archives Catalog Archived January 3, 2017, at the Wayback Machine )
  3. ↑ "First Methodist Church". The Historical Marker Database.
  4. ↑ "First Methodist Church South, 300 East Houston Street, Marshall, Harrison County, TX". Historic American Buildings Survey.
  5. ↑ "Marvin, Enoch Mather (1823–1877), Handbook of Texas". Texas State Historical Association.
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