First United Methodist Church (San Marcos, Texas)

Last updated
First United Methodist Church
First United Methodist Church San Marcos
San Marcos Methodist.JPG
First United Methodist Church in 2010
Relief map of Texas.png
Red pog.svg
First United Methodist Church
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
First United Methodist Church
29°53′2″N97°56′34″W / 29.88389°N 97.94278°W / 29.88389; -97.94278 (First United Methodist Church)
Location129 W. Hutchison,
San Marcos, Texas
CountryUnited States
Denomination United Methodist Church
Website www.fumcsm.org
History
Status Parish church
Founded1847
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Style Gothic Revival, Victorian Gothic
Years built1893 (1893)
Administration
DivisionRio Texas Conference
Clergy
Senior pastor(s) Rev. Danielle Knapp and Rev. Adam R. Knapp
Pastor(s) Rev. Bonnie Bevers
First United Methodist Church
Arealess than one acre
NRHP reference No. 74002269 [1]
RTHL No. 10271
Significant dates
Added to NRHPNovember 8, 1974
Designated RTHL1970

First United Methodist Church is a historic church at 129 W. Hutchison in San Marcos, Texas.

Contents

An easily recognized landmark of the San Marcos skyline is the Carpenter Gothic sanctuary of First United Methodist Church. The sanctuary was built in 1893, but the congregation dates back to 1847 in the earliest days of the city of San Marcos. The present sanctuary is the third building to occupy this site. First United Methodist Church's historic 1893 sanctuary served as the architectural inspiration for the Old Main building at Texas State University.

Founding of Church

A Methodist circuit-rider, A.B.F. Kerr, organized the congregation on August 5, 1847, in the log cabin home of the John D. Pitts family, which was located on the next corner from the church's present location. There were nine charter members.

After meeting at the Pitts home for two years, the congregation moved their services to a public building, used as a school, courthouse, church, and community hall. When John D. Pitts bought the property along the San Antonio Road, he deeded his property in town (including the present church site) to the church.

Early Buildings

In 1855, the Methodist congregation joined with the Masonic Order to construct a two-story frame building on this site. The church used the lower floor, and the Masons used the upper floor. But only 13 years later, the building was destroyed by fire.

A second building, this time made of red brick, was completed on the site in 1872. The bell now hanging in the bell tower was given for the brick church by a relative of Benjamin Hawkins, who had been appointed Indian agent by George Washington. In 1806, during Thomas Jefferson's presidency, Hawkins established Fort Hawkins in Macon, Georgia for the conversion of the Indians. The bell hung in the chapel, and is believed to be the oldest artifact in San Marcos. In 1891, only 19 years after the brick church was built, the building developed serious cracks (probably due to an underground fault) and had to be torn down.

Present Sanctuary

The present church sanctuary was completed in 1893. It is built in the shape of a cross with cypress lumber and beam and sits on large cedar posts. It still has its original curved walnut pews, pulpit, and altar rail. A group of young children under the age of seven years was organized as the “Society of Willing Workers.” This group raised money for several of the furnishings for the new church: the walnut altar rail, the walnut pulpit, and the chandelier over the pulpit. The total cost in 1893 was $75.

The interior walls are the original beaded board. The present chandeliers hang from the original cast iron medallions which feature cherubs in the central medallions. Cast iron hymnal racks with hoops to hold walking canes are on the backs of the pews; and original wire hat holders for gentlemen's hat can be found under certain pews. A balcony was added in 1911, which was larger than the present balcony. About that same time, the level floor of the church was made to slope to give people in the back of the sanctuary a better view.

In 1912, the church installed San Marcos's first pipe organ at the cost of $3,500. It was converted to electricity in 1924 and has undergone several major renovations.

In 1938–39, Art glass windows were installed which replaced panes of colored glass.

In 1974, the church building was added to the National Register.

In 1980-81 the congregation undertook an extensive renovation of the 1893 church building at the cost of $441,000. New shingles were reproduced from molds of the original shingles. The four-story bell tower, which had been closed in at some point in the church history, was reopened to provide a view of the old bell. Windows were removed and releaded, pews were refinished, and plywood paneling that had covered the front wall of the sanctuary was removed to reveal the original beaded board and stand glass transoms.

In 1983, a set of kneeling cushions which depict the history of the congregation were commissioned for the altar rail. The cushions were designed by Betty Smith (a professional needlepoint designer and wife of a former church minister) and needlepointed by the women of the congregation.

In 2012, the congregation began additional work on restoring the historic sanctuary. The entire interior of the building was sanded, worn wood was repaired, and the interior was repainted. The carpet was replaced and the hardwood floors were refinished and exposed at the front of the sanctuary. The pews were removed to allow for full inspection of the flooring, and the pews were inspected and repaired as needed. Additional lights were added to the sanctuary to highlight the choir, and the pipe organ façade was removed for restoration and repainting.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace</span> Historic Roman Catholic church in Hawaii, United States

The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace is the mother church and cathedral of the Diocese of Honolulu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Wenceslaus Church, Chicago</span> Church in Illinois, United States

St. Wenceslaus is a church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located at 3400 North Monticello Avenue in the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of Saint Joseph (Wheeling, West Virginia)</span> Historic church in West Virginia, United States

The Cathedral of Saint Joseph of Wheeling or Saint Joseph's Cathedral is the seat of the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston. In addition to being the seat of the bishop, the cathedral is home to the oldest congregation in the city of Wheeling, West Virginia. The cathedral is a contributing property to the East Wheeling Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Weaverham</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Mary's Ecumenical Church is a Church of England / Methodist Local Ecumenical Project in the village of Weaverham, Cheshire, England. The church is the parish church of Weaverham and Acton Bridge and part of the Methodist Northwich and Winsford Circuit. The vision of the church is to share the light and hope of Jesus with the local community. The church building is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the Diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Middlewich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Troy, New York)</span> Historic church in New York, United States

St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Troy, New York, United States, is located at Third and State streets. It is home to one of the oldest congregations in the city. In 1979, the church and two outbuildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places. Seven years later, when the Central Troy Historic District was created and added to the Register, it was listed as a contributing property.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government Street Presbyterian Church</span> Historic church in Alabama, United States

Government Street Presbyterian Church in Mobile, Alabama is one of the oldest and least-altered Greek Revival church buildings in the United States. The architectural design is by James Gallier Sr., James H. Dakin, and Charles Dakin. The trio also designed Barton Academy, four blocks down Government Street to the west. Government Street Presbyterian reflects the influences of Ithiel Town, Minard Lafever, and Andrew Jackson Downing. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salem First United Methodist Church</span> Historic church in Oregon, United States

Salem First United Methodist Church is a Methodist congregation and historic church in Salem, Oregon, United States. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places under its original name, First Methodist Episcopal Church of Salem, in 1983. First United is the oldest Methodist church west of the Rocky Mountains, and is a designated United Methodist Heritage Landmark. It is one of Oregon's few high-style Gothic Revival churches outside of Portland, and has one of the rare tall spires left standing in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bethel Methodist Church (Charleston, South Carolina)</span> Historic church in South Carolina, United States

Bethel Methodist Church is a congregation and the building located at 57 Pitt St. The congregation organized in the late eighteenth century and originally built a smaller wooden church on the site. It served both white and black Methodists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John the Evangelist Church (Cambridge, Massachusetts)</span> Historic church in Massachusetts, United States

St. John the Evangelist is a historic Roman Catholic Church at 2270 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Presbyterian Church (Buffalo, New York)</span>

The First Presbyterian Church in Buffalo, New York was the first organized religious body formed in what was then the western frontier of New York State. The town of Buffalo was sparsely populated when the church was organized on February 2, 1812. However, having survived the War of 1812, the town of Buffalo was rebuilt and rapidly grew with the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825. The first two buildings were located on the same downtown lot. However, the congregation relocated between 1889 and 1891 to its present location approximately one and-a-half miles to the north in a more residential area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Presbyterian Church of Redmond</span> Historic church in Oregon, United States

Built in 1912, the First Presbyterian Church of Redmond is the oldest standing church structure in the city of Redmond, Oregon, United States. It is also the second-oldest religious building in Deschutes County. The church was built in the Gothic Revival style with Queen Anne architectural detailing. It was the home of Protestant congregations from 1912 until 1979. Today, the building is privately owned and used as a special events venue. The First Presbyterian Church of Redmond was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cotton Mountain Community Church</span> Historic church in New Hampshire, United States

The Cotton Mountain Community Church, also known as the Wolfeborough, Brookfield and Wakefield Meetinghouse, is a historic church on Stoneham Road in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, near the town line with Brookfield. Built about 1852, it is a well-preserved example of a rural New England meeting house with vernacular Greek Revival style. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Since 1957, when it stopped being used for services, it has been cared for by a local nonprofit group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Brick Church (Athens, Vermont)</span> Historic church in Vermont, United States

The Old Brick Church is a historic church building off Vermont Route 35 in Athens, Vermont. Built in 1817, it is a modest Federal style brick structure that served as a church and civic center into the 20th century. Architecturally it represents a transitional period, built with the furnishings of a typical 18th-century New England colonial meeting house, arranged on the long axis as was typical of 19th-century churches. It is now owned by the town, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tompkins Corners United Methodist Church</span> Historic church in New York, United States

Tompkins Corners United Methodist Church - now known as the Tompkins Corners Cultural Center - is located along Peekskill Hollow Road in Putnam Valley, New York, United States. It is a wooden frame structure built in the 1890s. In 1983 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the only property exclusively in Putnam Valley to so far receive that distinction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First United Methodist Church (Des Moines, Iowa)</span> United States historic place

First United Methodist Church is located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1984 as First Methodist Episcopal Church, which is its original name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church</span> United States historic place

Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church is located north of Waterville, Iowa, United States. The church building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Nicholas' Church, Sturry</span> Church in Kent, England

St Nicholas' Church, Sturry, is a joint Anglican and Methodist church standing on a bank beside the River Stour, in the village of Sturry, near Canterbury, in East Kent. The Local Ecumenical Partnership enables the congregation to be of mixed denomination - either Methodist or Anglican.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clinton African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church</span> Historic church in Massachusetts, United States

The Clinton African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church is a historic church at 9 Elm Court in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It was the first African American church in Berkshire County, and it was a place where noted Great Barrington native W.E.B. Du Bois is known to have attended services. The Shingle style church was completed in 1887, and continues to serve as a center of African American worship in southern Berkshire County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roberts Park Methodist Episcopal Church</span> Historic church in Indiana, United States

Roberts Park Methodist Episcopal Church, whose present-day name is Roberts Park United Methodist Church, was dedicated on August 27, 1876, making it one of the oldest church remaining in downtown Indianapolis. Diedrich A. Bohlen, a German-born architect who immigrated to Indianapolis in the 1850s, designed this early example of Romanesque Revival architecture. The church is considered one of Bohlen's major works. Constructed of Indiana limestone at Delaware and Vermont Streets, it has a rectangular plan and includes a bell tower on the southwest corner. The church is known for its interior woodwork, especially a pair of black-walnut staircases leading to galleries (balconies) surrounding the interior of three sides of its large sanctuary. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 19, 1982. It is home to one of several Homeless Jesus statues around the world, this one located behind the church on Alabama Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elk Rapids First Methodist Episcopal Church</span> Historic church in Michigan, United States

The Elk Rapids First Methodist Episcopal Church is a former church located at 301 Traverse Street in Elk Rapids, Michigan. The building now houses Elk Rapids Area Historical Museum. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to First United Methodist Church at Wikimedia Commons